


Shadowed Past: Visions of Affliction

by RockNRollGospels214



Series: Shadowed Past [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, Cursed Character, Dark Past, Dark Visions, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self Loathing, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mystery, Near Death Experiences, Nightmares, Norse Mythology - Freeform, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), References to Norse Religion & Lore, Romance, Science Fiction, Second part of a trilogy, Seidr, Sequel, SteveXOC, Suspense, Tragdey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:23:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 65,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4017910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockNRollGospels214/pseuds/RockNRollGospels214
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(SEQUEL TO "SHADOWED PAST") After the battle with Ultron, Alex is plagued with horrifying flashbacks that prevent her from living out her life. Digging deeper into her past, Alex and the others uncover more about what could be causing the corrupted visions. Alex's origin is darker and more vile than anyone ever expected.  [Other Genres: Romance, Adventure, Mystery, Tragedy]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The End Was Only The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! Welcome to the Shadowed Past sequel!! (Part 2/3)
> 
> **The introduction to this story is at the end of "Shadowed Past" posted as Chapter 11. It's a short read, and it helps set up the timeline for the rest of this story!**
> 
> ALSO: "Shadowed Past" was all in the third person. I'm keeping this installment a mix between Alex's point of view and third person because of the flashbacks, and a lot of the things that happen in this story are better explained from Alex's point of view.

_I had strings, but now I'm free._

_I've got no strings_

_To hold me down_

_To make me fret_

_Or make me frown_

_I had strings, but now I'm free._

**_There are no strings on me._ **

* * *

My eyes shot open as I flew up in bed, sweat beading across my forehead and my heart racing.

"Alex? Are you alright?" Steve asked, his voice still groggy but filled with concern.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." I panted.

Steve sat up in bed next to me, rubbing his hand across my back to calm me down. "That's the tenth nightmare this week, and it's only Wednesday."

"I know, I know, just post traumatic stress. I'll be fine." My lungs were still gasping for air and the blankets felt like lava against my clammy legs.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor?" Steve asked as I stood and made my way to the bathroom linked to our current bedroom.

"I'll shake it off." I said, flicking on the light and turning the sink on.

After splashing my face with bitterly cold water and drying, I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

The battle against Ultron had really taken a toll on me. Black bags still remained under my eyes which I had to cover up with foundation everyday now, my skin seemed paler than normal too. I looked like a zombie.

My hair fell in a messy braid down the front of my left arm, and small wisps of loose hair fell around my neck and ears. The color was dark brown now, the black dye fading out over time. My natural color was dirty blonde, but it just didn't suit me. So I was able to keep up with practically staining in dark brown, it was just that the black always faded too quickly to keep up with. Although, I did cut my hair. About half of it, gone. It now ended at halfway down my back instead of the ends resting around my hips. I missed my goth look, but it was hard to juggle that and being an avenger at the same time. My purple eyes still had the appearance as if they were glowing, but that was never going to change.

But the nightmares were new.

Ever since after the battle with Ultron ended, I'd been having them. Being stationed at the new, hopefully temporary, Avengers Base didn't help either. Avengers Tower was home. And ever since we re-stationed, I'd been having trouble sleeping. The nightmares had been happening ever since the first time I got some shut eye after defeating Ultron, and that was in the quinjet on the way here.

The nightmares weren't as bad as the ones I got from wearing the cursed ring, but they were still horrifying.

It was constant replays of what happened with Ultron. His glowing red eyes, the screams of citizens echoing throughout the city,  _Pietro_ , everything.

"Hey, you gonna be okay?" Steve asked, now standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, yeah. Just, thinking. That's all." I said, my voice soft.

* * *

Later that morning, Piper finally met up with me at breakfast. She'd stayed at Avengers Tower while we were all off at a practical war, but she moved to the new base with us afterwards since it wasn't safe to stay at the tower for now.

Piper had been living in the apartment in the tower on her own for a couple of years now, ever since Steve and I got married.

It was lonely around this new base. Clint had gone back to stay with his wife and kids (which none of us expected), Tony left to go do whatever it is that he does, Bruce was still MIA at the moment, leaving Natasha a mess staying up all night trying to track him down. Thor went back to Asgard, only popping in every now and then to say hello and usually steal some Midgardian food. Steve and I had plenty of time to ourselves, but it just didn't feel right when the whole team wasn't there. It was like the family was split up. The family  _had_ been split up.

Piper was actually a huge help around campus whenever we needed her. She was slowly turning into Maria's little minion, helping her with simple paperwork or taking care of small secretary jobs when all of the SHIELD agents that still remained on the team were busy. We'd lost about half the team when the entire Hydra vs. SHIELD war arose. It was actually kind of peaceful not having as many people around.

"Alex, you don't look so good," Piper said, pulling me into a hug.

"Just a rough night, that's all." I said, returning it.

"You've been saying that almost everyday for a couple of weeks now. Something's bothering you."

"I'm just having trouble sleeping because of what happened. I mean, that was a new level of war for me."

"Me too, and everybody's shaken up about it. I mean, they just found Bruce yesterday and he was still a mess."

"Wait, they found him?"

"Yeah, Natasha got one of those GPS alert thingies, and he wasn't that far from here. Apparently he stayed with Clint for a week or so before venturing out on his own again."

"I feel bad for him." I began. "He's just so hard on himself, and I can relate to that."

"Maybe you should talk to him, then. Natasha's having a hard time getting through to him, and you saw those two. They were flirting with each other like two horny teenagers at Tony's party before it got crashed."

"Yeah, there's no denying that one." I chuckled.

* * *

After eating a small breakfast of a bagel and some chopped fruit, Piper and I split up for the day. She went off to do her duties with Maria, and I went with Steve to the training room with the others. I helped Wanda control her powers since I had to teach myself to do the same thing. Her powers were more magical while mine were more scientific, but the ability of control was universal.

I myself still wasn't fully trained, but Steve could train me later on our time. The others came first.

* * *

I worked with Wanda for about an hour. She didn't need much teaching since she was familiar with her powers already.

Natasha called me aside not long after I was done with Wanda.

"I need you to talk to Bruce." She said flatly, more of a command than a question.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"He's just, he's having a lot of trouble believing in himself. You know how he is. But no matter what I say, or do, he still won't change. He's been acting more upset about it than normal ever since he got back and I can't figure out why."

I knew she had to be desperate. Natasha Romanoff,  _the_  Black Widow, asking me for help?

"Yeah, sure, I'll go talk to him." I replied.

* * *

"Bruce?" I muttered, knocking on the doorway outside of his room.

He looked up, "Alex, it's good to see you again." He said, a very small smile present on his lips. We shared a quick hug before sitting down on the end of the bed.

"So, how have you been?" He asked.

"Fine, you?"

"Well, that's a whole other subject."

"Bruce, you were gone for almost a month without any contact. I'm not trying to invade privacy or anything, but, what happened?"

"I honestly don't know. I just, I couldn't bring myself to come back because it reminded me of the horrible things  _the other guy_  did."

"Well,  _the other guy_ is a hero."

"Alex, please don't say that. He's... _I'm_  just a rage monster that kills."

"That  _saves_..."

He shot me a look.

"Look, you have to believe me. I'm not just saying these things to say them, nor is Nat or Steve or anybody. You're an avenger. And if we didn't have you, we wouldn't have a team." I said.

"Thank you, Alex, really. But I know why Natasha sent you."

I exhaled before continuing. "Bruce. I know what it's like. To want to die, to hate yourself. My life was nothing but suicidal thoughts and self-hated for almost eight years." I rolled up my sleeve. "See these? It was my way of coping. Every scar represents something else I thought was wrong with me, or another day I stayed and I shouldn't have." Dozens scattered both of my arms combined. "And I tried, I tried to kill myself. Twice. But each time, somebody... _Piper_ , saved me. And after that, I began to realize that it was a sign. I was supposed to stay. It wasn't my time to go."

"But you could still kill yourself. I physically can't, Alex."

"And that's your sign. Don't look at the radiation accident as a mistake that _ruined_  your life, look it as an accident that  _changed_  your life." I said, before giving him one last pat on the shoulder and leaving. I wanted to leave the conversation at something he could think about.

* * *

Later that afternoon, I was in Steve and I's room, writing down what I could recall from my most recent nightmare in my journal. I liked to keep tabs on these things, so if they ever did get too bad I could have some evidence to reference back to.

_Nightmare #10_

_Similarities :_

_-the red eyes_

_-the song_

_-flashbacks of "the dark ages" when I self-harmed_

_-the song links to my own shadowed past_

_-flashbacks from battling Ultron's drones_

_New Parts :_

_-a new "scene" (about 30-40 secs. long) of finding Steve, Tony, Bruce, Thor, Natasha, Piper, Clint, and every other person I've ever loved or cared about dead; and it was somehow my fault_

_-I was tied up with strings while the song was playing_

_-I was being chocked by Ultron, staring into his red eyes, and then I woke up gasping for air_

I held my pen to my chin trying to remember anything else important to write down, and that's when a flashback hit me.

_Chills ran through my body as I felt the steady inhales of freezing air fill my lungs. Yet I still exhaled small puffs of steam, signaling warm air leaving my body. My skin was pale, practically as white as the snow beneath my feet, except for the redness of my cheeks and nose from exposure to the low temperatures._

_For a second, I heard nothing but silence. No bombs had been launched, there was no screaming of the wounded falling to the ground...nothing._

_My eyes scanned the snow-dusted forest. There was no movement. No sign of life._

_Until all of a sudden, the sound of a bullet leaving the barrel of its gun echoed off the trees. I looked up just in time to catch the bullet inside of a small purple sphere of force fields, only inches from my face. The bullet was aimed for the dead center of my skull between my eyes. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding before letting the bullet fall to the ground._

_And then the battle seemed to magically reappear._

_Bullets hit and tore at the bark of trees, the ground rumbled from Bruce rampaging around and bombs ripping apart the ground, and the cries of the wounded filled the air again._

_"Alex! Heads up!" Steve shouted._

_I spun around just in time to catch his shield, using it to wipe out many of the enemy's men beginning to surround me._

_Steve fought his way to my side, literally, and I handed him his shield back. "Thanks for letting my borrow it." I panted._

_We began jogging through the forest to catch up with the others as our conversation carried on._

_"No problem. You know, that suit really works for you. It looks nice." Steve said._

_"Was that a compliment, captain?" I teased._

_"That's up to you to decide, Mrs. Rogers."_

_"This is why superheroes don't date." Natasha muttered over the speaker._

_"Seriously, save it for the bed, lovebirds." Tony scoffed._

_I smiled, actually enjoying their bickering for once. My new suit did look better than the old one. The old suit: black, leather, had the tears patched with red cloth to look like scars? That's the one. I liked it, but, I felt...vulnerable with it on. The new one was still black and leather, much like Natasha's and every other SHIELD agent's ever. But, this one didn't have the rips and tears like the old one. It didn't have the scars like I used to. A new suit for a new me. It had multiple belts, and a couple of different holsters for guns. I wore my combat boots with the suit to complete it._

_My thoughts were scrambled when I saw the enemy lines rapidly approaching._

_"Go get 'em, cap!" I called as Steve ran to the right, and I ran to the left._

_I began taking out enemy soldiers with my force fields as quick as possible._

_The cold air continued to burn in my lungs with every breath, every pant._

_My mind continued to wander, and slowly my physical acts separated from my thoughts. I continued to punch, kick, throw fields, but my mind was completely somewhere else. The fight was implanted into the commander center of my brain, like how a robot's commands are programmed into it's system. I fought strong, but my mind took a break. My thoughts were filled with the memories from my life before I met Steve. The self harm, the fear, the loneliness. I felt the scars burn on my arms, forever etched into my delicate skin._

_And then, I was hit._

_A huge blow to the head, flinging my body backwards until it met harshly with the bark of a tree. One of many in the cold winters forest._

_They all surrounded me, attacking my body in every which way. Blood began to surface, and yet I was still caught in such a daze, I couldn't fight back. I was motionless in the white, and I felt the pain surging through every nerve, spiking and flailing to unspeakable levels of agony. My voice was numb and I was unable to scream for help. I felt the fear wash over the pain, only contributing to the pure panic taking over my being._

And then I woke up.

"Alex!"

"Huh?!" I gasped, looking up to see Steve standing by my side.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just, just another flashback."

Steve sighed before sitting down next to me on the bed. "Alex, these are getting out of control. You need to see a medical specialist or something."

"No, I'm fine...I promise." I said, still panting softly from the vision.

"Als..."

"Wait, at least tell me this...did I actually get hurt in the battle in the forest?"

"What do you mean?"

"When we were all battling in the forest before getting into the enemy base, back before Tony made Ultron, did I get beaten up by soldiers?"

"No, you fought them all off, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, I just couldn't remember."

* * *

Later that night, I was having trouble sleeping. Again. It was a daily thing for me now.

Steve refused to sleep until I was asleep, and I knew that was going to be a long time.

Our backs were leaned against the headboard, and my head was nestled against his shoulder. Steve rested his cheek against the top of my head. His arm was wrapped around me, holding me close. I couldn't be any more comfortable. He was holding my left hand in his right, his thumb gently caressing my wedding band.

"You tired yet?"

"No, I wish I was. But then again I don't because then that means I'd just be having another nightmare."

"I'm gonna get you through this, I promise."

"Steve, it's just PTSD, it's nothing uncommon."

"You don't know that..."

"I think I do, Steve. That was my first big fight. My head's in shock."

"Alex, I've had PTSD before. I still suffer from it sometimes. This seems like something way more serious and I don't want it to escalate into something worse than that."

"I know. And I guess I am a little worried. But I'm just going to put up a fight. It's all I can do, right?"

"Right." Steve replied softly. He wanted to comfort Alex, so agreed with her to maker her feel better. But deep down Steve knew that there was something more than PTSD going on, and he was worried to death.

* * *

"Where's Capsicle and Mrs. Incredible?" Tony blurted out.

Natasha, Bruce, Wanda, Sam, and Rhodey were all relaxing in the main lounge when Tony walked in.

"Steve took her to bed." Nat responded flatly.

"Again? Steve better calm down." Tony smirked.

"Not like that, pervert. Alex was having more visions, he called it a night early to try and help her get some sleep." She responded.

"I think we need to talk about Alex's visions. They're not something we can just ignore and push off until they go away. I don't think they're just going to end because we want them to." Bruce said.

"Have they gotten worse?" Wanda asked.

"Yes, Steve said that now she's getting them during the day. She'll just randomly collapse, it's like she just passes out." Nat said.

"I'll have to get some readings from her brainwaves. Maybe I can match the data to something that will lead us to what's wrong or give us some ideas." Bruce said.

"Steve's been worrying his head off about her. I think it would help him sleep at night knowing some possible reason as to why she's having so many problems." Sam chimed in.

"Alright. I'll say something to him in the morning, then." Bruce replied.

* * *

_The train of the white dress trailed behind me as I walked slowly down the isle, step by step. White lace sleeves covered my arms, and thin veil shaded my face the slightest bit, and a bundle of burgundy red roses were gripped tightly in my hands._

_Piper had done my make-up, which consisted of a natural tinted smokey eye, eyeliner wings, red lipstick that matched the roses, and all the basics that made me look actually really nice. I wasn't excited about her dolling me up, but I knew it's what mom would've wanted. Her daughter all done up like a princess on her wedding day._

_Only the first few pews had people sitting in them, considering the only people there were The Avengers, Piper, and Piper's mom. But that was our family, and that was all that mattered._

_Steve was grinning and I could see the tears in his eyes when I was only halfway down the isle._

_He was crying._

_And now I was crying._

_Once I reached the altar, I looked up at Steve with tears in my eyes. I wiped a tear off my cheek._

_"Hey," he whispered._

_"Hi," I chuckled._

_"You look amazing." We jinxed._

_I only smiled and let a soft laugh escape my lips before the pastor began._

_"Do you, Alexis Dawn Cooper, take Steven Grant Rogers, as your lawfully wedded husband?"_

_"I do."_

_"And do you, Steve Grant Rogers, take Alexis Dawn Cooper, as your lawfully wedded wife?"_

_"I do."_

_"You may now kiss the bride."_

_Steve lifted my veil, and held my head with his hands as he looked me straight in the eyes. A single tear fell from his eye; he whispered 'I love you', and then he placed his lips on mine._

* * *

My eyes opened slowly, the sight of Steve and I's current bedroom at the new HQ flooding my sight.

I awoke to the sun pouring in through the window. It reminded me of home, the old apartment, and how I'd woken up to that morning after morning for what felt like forever. Even for the couple of years we lived at Avengers Tower, the wall facing the outside world was pure glass and Steve and I could almost see the entire city from our room. I was homesick. I'd always miss the apartment to some degree, but I missed Avengers Tower even more now than ever.

I felt strangely well rested, and then it dawned on me that I  _didn't_  have a nightmare last night. I certainly wasn't going to question that.  _Just bless it and release it_ , as Mrs. Williamson always said.

Steve was still asleep next to me, and I turned onto my side to watch him sleep. He slept with his arms and legs extended straight, his arms lying at his sides. That's the position he was frozen in for 70 years. Whenever we fell asleep together, he would have an arm around me or something, but if I woke up before him, I always found him sleeping in that same position.

It upset me. I felt bad for him. Even his facial expression was just blank. He didn't express any emotion. He just slept.

I watched how his chest rose slightly with every inhale, and then how it sank with every exhale. His hair was all tangled, which made me smile. I slowly reached over and laced my fingers between his. He slowly began to melt into my touch, and I saw his muscles relax. After holding his hand for a few minutes, I decided to get up and get ready for the day and let him get his needed rest.

* * *

I flicked the bathroom light on; turned the sink faucet on.

My reflection stared back at me in the mirror, my  ** _violet_**  eyes piercing themselves.

The cold water blissfully stung the sensitive skin of my face. Keeping my eyes closed, I shook some of the water off my hands, turned the faucet off and reached for a towel.

I patted my face dry, and looked back into the mirror;  ** _red_**  irises staring back at me.


	2. Unforgotten and Afraid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Slight mention of Alex's past in the first flashback (it doesn't describe anything but it still references past self-harm/suicide so I wanted to note it to be safe).
> 
> Enjoy!

I took a step back, gasping and blinking rapidly. I looked up at the mirror again and saw my violet eyes.

"Weird..." I panted.

I washed my face with cold water again, avoiding my own gaze in the mirror as I dried my face for a second time. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, flicked off the light, and walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

Steve was still sleeping in bed, which was strangely unusual. I decided to get dressed and head down to breakfast early since there wasn't much else to do.

Downstairs, only a few SHIELD agents were wandering the halls and cafeteria. Some had already eaten and gone to work, others were still sleeping. Everyone had a different schedule to keep, some had the night shift and some the day shift.

"Alex!" an accented voice called, and I turned to see Wanda at a table waving her hand to grab my attention.

A small smile curled on my lips as I walked over to her. She stood and hugged me before we sat back down together.

"You're up early this morning, may I ask why?" She questioned.

"Couldn't sleep. And I decided it would be best to leave the room to let Steve sleep in rather than wake him. He needs his beauty sleep."

She chuckled. "I see. How have you been holding up?"

"So-so. What about you? I know things have been hard for all of us after...Ultron...and,"

"Pietro?"

"Yeah." I sighed.

"I've been doing better." She grabbed the chain of her necklace and held the locket charm in her palm. Moving it so I could see, she opened the locket. Inside was an old picture of Wanda and Pietro as kids. "It's the only picture of us together we had left, especially after everything was destroyed at home. I keep him close. It makes me feel a little better knowing a small piece of him will always be with me."

"I know how you feel."

"You do?"

"Yeah...that happened to me some time ago with an heirloom of my mother's."

"Where is it now?"

"I lost it...it was, causing some family issues, so, it had to be destroyed."

I really didn't feel like explaining the entire cursed ring story to her; I trusted her, but it was still early.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's fine, really." I replied.

"Now, tell me, what's it like to be married?"

"Married?" I smirked.

"Yes. I've always wondered. Considering I'll probably never get the chance to settle down with a nice guy."

"Hey, you never know. I used to say the same thing. And, it's wonderful. Steve can be a little over protective sometimes, but, I still love him. We both have interesting pasts that make up our relationship, and we can relate to each other a lot, and, I don't know. It just, works."

"I'm glad you're both happy." Wanda grinned.

"I'm glad to have you here. I mean, Nat and I have grown, and besides Piper, you're the only other woman here to talk with."

"I enjoy your company as well, Alex. I feel that our relationship is very strong."

"I still remember the day we first met."

"Oh, me too. Sorry about that, again."

"It's fine, really." I chuckled.

"No, I really shouldn't have done that to you...I manipulated you, and all of the others..."

"It was just your way of self defense. I can't blame you for it."

"I know, but, it's still something I regret."

Suddenly my head began to throb, and my vision blurred.

"Alex?" Wanda's voice echoed.

"Yeah, hey, I just got a really bad headache, I'm gonna go to the restroom really quick."

"Do you need some help?" She called as I stumbled my way towards the exit.

"No, I'll be fine!" I called.

I made it around the corner, and the pain became so great that I slid my back down the wall and held my forehead in my hands, my knees bunched up close to my center. I kept my eyes squeezed tight; any ray of light burnt like the brightness of staring at the sun.

And then the vision began to flicker, like the start of an old projector-based film.

_The bitter winter air stabbed at my lungs as I inched my way around the corner. We'd infiltrated the enemy base, and now was a matter of finishing the mission and getting out._

_I crept my way up the stone staircase, prepared for anything or anyone to jump out at me. I was invisible, but that didn't matter. These people had some pretty high-tech weapons, and they surely had heat-sensors in their hands._

_I listened closely, the only sound echoing off the walls was the slow and almost silent tap of my boots as I made my way up stair by stair._

_Once I was at the top, I heard something out of the ordinary. Someone was there with me. I froze, ceased to breathe, and listened._

_Silence._

_'Come on out...I know you're hiding...' I thought to myself._

_And suddenly, I felt cold hands grab the sides of my skull, and my vision blur, flashes of my past coming to life._

_I saw what I used to do to myself._

_The racing cars under the bridge._

_I saw myself falling..._

_And then I snapped out of it. I shot a field behind me, striking the attacker. I showed myself, only to see a girl, probably no older than me, standing there. Her arms were up and ready to fire, and I noticed they were burning red. Her eyes the same._

_"Wait, we can talk this out." I said firmly._

_"No, we can't." She hissed. Firing at me only to miss._

_Our fight began, and we continued to fire masses of energy at each other like it was totally normal._

_"What are you?" I called as I dodged a glowing mass of red energy._

_"Special. And you?"_

_"I could say that, but I think I'm just weird." I panted as I faded into thin air._

_She frantically looked around for me, and I went in for the attack. I smacked her across the face, and she swung hard at me, but missed.  
_

_We played that game for a solid five minutes, I'd hit her, she'd swing at where she thought I was, and would miss. It was something rather comical to watch, surely._

_Suddenly, I saw her hands begin to glow red again. She was angry. She let out a force so great that it knocked me down, and I became visible again._

_She closed in on me, and just as she was about to attack, Steve ran in and pushed her aside._

_I looked up at him and smiled as he stood there and smiled back. He reached out to help me up, and I grasped his warm hand._

_I clearly saw our hands locked together; the matching wedding rings shining in the dim light. A symbol of our relationship._

_As soon as I was to my feet, something whizzed by my side. I turned to see nothing, but then I heard it on the opposing side of my body. I looked the other way. Nothing._

_"You hear that?" I panted._

_"Yeah..." Steve replied._

_Suddenly, not only was the girl standing there, but a guy was too. They looked alike, probably related._

_"Oh great, another one?" I huffed._

_"Did they hurt you?" The guy asked the girl._

_"No." She responded coldly, giving me a glare._

_"Who are you?" Steve questioned, confident and strong._

_"None of your business." The girl hissed._

_"Please, let me handle this." The guy responded._

_"Hey, I have an idea, let's play live action 'whoever gets knocked off the building first' loses." I spoke up._

_"Silence yourself, before I slit your throat." The girl snarled._

_The glare of my violet eyes burned in her red ones._

_"I'm going to ask this again: Who, are you?" Steve said forcefully._

_The girl's hands began to glow red, and I knew what she was going to do._

_"Steve! Look out!" I shoved Steve out of the way; I went to blow out a field of my own, but it was too late._

_My vision was blinded by the red and I felt the back of my skull smack against the cold cement wall._

_I saw Steve's eyes looking into mine and could just barely feel his hand on the side of my head as I blacked out._

And then I looked up, the work lights on the ceiling blinding me. The plain walls of the hallway surrounded my being, and I felt the cold tile floor beneath me.

I was panting, gasping for air and I could feel small beads of sweat forming all over my body.

But I wasn't hot. I was freezing.

Just like in the forest.

* * *

Later that day, Bruce had asked me if he could take some readings of my head for research.

But I wasn't stupid.

I knew exactly what he was doing. I knew that everyone meant well and was trying to help me, but I knew that it would go away eventually.

"So, how have you been holding up?" Bruce asked as he hooked up more cords to my forehead.

"Decent, I guess. You?"

"We're not here on behalf of my well being. What do you mean by decent? Are things worse?"

"I don't even know anymore. I had another incident this morning. I was talking to Wanda, and all of a sudden I had a random flashback and basically blacked out in the hallway. It's just weird. It was one of the day I met Wanda and Pietro, when they almost tried to kill me. Not that it meant anything, they were just scared. I probably would've done the same."

"So, that's worse then. They've escalated from nightmares to blackouts during the day."

"Yeah." I sighed. "And then endings are always different. Like it ends with me getting hurt, or failing to protect somebody or something. They end in the most negative way possible and nothing like what happened at all."

"Could you give me an example?"

"Sure. Like the one I had this morning with Wanda and Pietro. Before I woke back up again, I pushed Steve out of the way of Wanda's energy. But, instead of turning and blocking it with my own field, like how it actually happened, I got knocked out against the cement."

"I see."

It was silent for a moment before Bruce spoke up again.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

My response came out soft, weak, almost silent.

"I don't know."

* * *

Bruce took about ten more minutes setting up everything, and the room was practically silent the entire time except for the beeping and chirping of some of the machines. As he continued fiddling with all of his science toys, I couldn't help but think about my eyes flashing red in the mirror. It scared me, and it was physical proof that this certainly wasn't a "I'll get better in a couple of days" situation. Something was wrong.  _Very_  wrong. I could feel it in my conscious, just ready to pounce on me and take my mind over again.

My thoughts were interrupted when Tony came strolling in; no snide comment alongside his entrance made it rather peaceful.

"So, what's the status so far?" He asked Bruce.

As Bruce muttered some science junk to him, I noticed that Tony's voice sounded serious. Not angry, upset, depressed...just, serious. He only used that voice when he meant business.

"And how are you, Mrs. America?" Tony asked, his voice seeming more loose now.

I simply shrugged my shoulders. I didn't feel like talking about it all over again.

"Come on. That's all I'm getting from you?" A slight grin appeared on his face as he walked over to me. "I know you, and you're a chatterbox."

"I'm okay, I guess." I sighed.

"And she speaks!"

I giggled at his emphasis, and looked up at him once he stood by my side.

"On to a more serious matter; I know that you're having a rough time. But, that's why we're here."

"Thanks, really. I just, hope we can figure out what's going on."

"Me too, kiddo, me too."

It was silent for a moment before he continued.

"Remember that time we worked on your new suit together?"

I grinned, "Yeah, and we stayed up until three in the morning without knowing it because Clint turned off all the clocks."

"It was worth it. Come on, we had some good times."

_"Hey, grab me that wrench over there would-ya?!" Tony called._

_"Which one?!_ _" I yelled back. I was looking down at one of the many tool benches in the workshop, and there were about twenty wrenches lined up by size._

_"The smallest one!"_

_"Okay!"_

_I wrapped my smooth, warm hand around the cold and hard metal, carrying it over to him._

_"Gracias, chica." He exhaled, looking at the tool briefly before turning around and going back to work._

_"How's the progress coming?"_

_"Not too bad, actually. Having a little trouble with syncing the invisibility factor but I think it'll be alright._

_He took a step back, and we both looked at the new in-progress suit of mine. "What do you think?"_

_"I like it. Maybe a couple belts and things as finishing touches, and I think we have a new suit for battle." I said, giving Tony a high five._

_"Try it out really quick, see if it turns invisible when you do."_

_I held my hand out slightly away from my body, watching it fade into thin air, before extending my arm so my hand touched the suit._

_It vanished._

_I couldn't help but smile and feel the excitement rush through my body, much like a little kid on Christmas._

_"Oh my gosh! I don't know why this seems so much cooler than my other one but it just is! Thank you so much!" I squealed, wrapping him in a hug._

_"No problem, kiddo, it's the least I could do. You helped too. A tool fetcher is always handy."_

_"Yeah, totally." I chuckled._

_"It's a lot more work when you constantly have to get up and go grab stuff, I can assure you that. It's one of the reasons I programmed JARVIS, not only was a help to my father but now me, in a more, digital way."_

_It was silent for a moment._

_"Do you think everything's going to be okay?" I blurted out._

_"That's in fate's hands now. I didn't mean for Ultron to get out of control...at all. The idea just seemed so great and helpful..."_

_"I know, I completely understand, I'm just scared."_

_"Me too, kiddo, me too."_

"Yeah, I remember." I sighed.

"Tony," Bruce spoke up, giving Tony the look that said  _get over here, now._

Tony walked over to Bruce and I sat in silence. They fiddled with something on the monitors and I tried to think of happy things. Something so simple, yet somehow so difficult. It seemed like every time I did think of something good, it was plagued by a crazy vision or nightmare.

"Alex, how much sleep have you been getting each night?" Bruce asked, walking over.

"Depends on the night, usually around five hours...sometimes more. Why?"

"None of that matters at the moment, just, stay calm. I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Have you been having any anger issues lately? Any trouble with your temper?"

"No."

"Trouble breathing, strange heart palpitations, anything like that?"

"No."

"Muscle spasms?"

"Nope."

"Digestive trouble?"

"No!"

"Okay, does anything physically seem to be out of order?"

"No." I sighed, again.

"Because mentally the only thing I see is a little high level stress. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"See, I'm fine."

"But that's the problem, Alex, you're not fine. You know it. The monitors must be missing something."

"Bruce, I don't know. These are some of the highest tech monitors on the planet. I don't see what they could be missing besides a little PTSD." Tony called.

"I'll just keep shaking the nightmares off, and if they get worse, I'll let you know. I promise." I said to Bruce.

He nodded in response, and the duo began taking all of the cords off my head.

* * *

Later that night, Steve was questioning how my tests went with Bruce and Tony in a rapid fire manner as I was turning the bed down for the night.

"Are you sure you're not sick?"

"Alex these things aren't normal."

"Does your head hurt?"

"Do you feel sick?"

"Have you been getting light headed?"

"How's your vision been?"

"Steve!" I shouted. "I'm fine, I promise. Bruce said the readings said nothing other than some stress and typical PTSD symptoms. Okay? There's nothing to worry about."

"I'm still keeping my eye on you." Steve replied.

"I'd hope so, you know I don't like a man with wandering eyes." I said as I walked up to Steve, meeting him at the center of the foot of the bed.

Steve wrapped his arms around the small of my back, and I ran my hands up his arms. "I could never look away from you." He muttered against my lips before kissing me chastely.

"I'd hope so." I hummed. "Now come on, you need your rest, cap."

"So do you, nightmare before Christmas."

"Tony's really starting to grow on you, isn't he?"

"It's a love/hate relationship."

I gave Steve one last kiss before he turned away to get undressed for bed.

"You looked away!"

He turned around and shot me his infamous confused puppy look, and I couldn't help but laugh. "I was kidding, Steve."

"Oh, right, yeah." He muttered with furrowed eyebrows before turning back around.

* * *

I lay in bed, Steve's strong arms wrapped around me as I simply think. There was so much to think about, I couldn't even  _think_ of where to begin.

Suddenly my phone buzzed on the nightstand, and I reached over to grab it.

**Piper**

_U okay? Wanda told me about what happened this morning. I was worried when Steve told me where you were._

I'd completely forgotten about this morning. I'd run out on Wanda leaving her confused and probably worried, and I was supposed to see Piper today too. But that didn't happen.

**Me**

_Yeah, I'm fine. Bruce and Tony ran a few tests and I'm okay. Just a little ptsd._

_..._

**Piper**

_R u sure? R they sure? This sounds to be a lot worse than just ptsd._

_..._

**Me**

_Ik. That's what I was thinking too. But that's all the readings said._

_..._

**Piper**

_Ok. :) Wanna try and meet up for breakfast 2mrrow?_

_..._

**Me**

_Sure. I'll c u there :) Night night._

_..._

**Piper**

_Night night! :) Don't get too rowdy in bed over there ;p_

_..._

**Me**

_No promises. Goodnight Pipes._

* * *

I awoke to nothing.

Darkness engulfed my vision, and the only sound was my breathing.

"Hello?" I called, my voice echoing into thin air.

I tried to stand, but my legs were too weak. Panic flooded my body, and I began feeling around to try and depict the placement of my body.

I couldn't find them.

My legs, my hips, even my neck.

Gone.

"What's going on?!" I screamed. I tried feeling my face, and even it was missing.

I couldn't  _feel_ anything. Only fear.

I couldn't  _see_ anything.

I couldn't  _hear_ anything, except my own voice and breathing.

I couldn't depict where I was...what I was.

"Steve! Help!" I screamed.

Normally I'd feel the hot tears running down my cheeks, my lungs burning from lack of air, my throat stinging from screaming so loud...

But I felt nothing.

My five main senses were either impaired or not working at all, and only one question flooded my mind through all the panic:

_Am I dead?_


	3. Death, My Old Friend

**_ Third Person POV _ **

Alex was kicking and screaming in bed, which woke Steve up rather quickly.

"Alex?!" Steve shouted, looking over to see a horrific sight.

Not only was Alex crying bloody murder, but her irises were glowing bright red, her eyes wide open, and every single blood vessel in her body was also illuminated with the same shade of red as her eyes. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, and she stared straight at the ceiling above her.

Steve tried everything to try and get her to snap out of it, but she was lost.

He quickly picked her up in his arms, and sprinted out and down the hall to the direction of the medical ward.

* * *

Doctors and nurses began doing everything imaginable to Alex to sedate her determine the problem. Steve was shoved out of the room, and the only sound he could hear was Alex's screams. He felt goosebumps flood his skin, causing every hair to raise as fear washed over his being. He slowly backed away from the door to the room Alex was in until his back made contact with the hallway wall. Physically, Steve was frozen. Mentally, everything was happening at once. Billions of questions flooded his mind, fear interwove itself between every single muscle in his body, worry burned under his scalp, and worst of all, his heart broke.

Steve watched with watery eyes behind a wall of glass as the doctors finally sedated his soul mate, and began attaching many machines to her. An oxygen tube ran across her beautiful face, which was multiple shades more pale than usual. Multiple needles and IV tubes lay were shoved into the soft flesh of her arms, and a pulse reader lay clamped to her finger, where her wedding ring sparkled like a star far off in the galaxy.

* * *

The vision flashed in her head like a horror movie.

Alex flinched and gasped, her eyebrows knotted tight.

There was a large, purple beast. Bright lights reflected off of dirty gold armor upon it's head and body.

It was large, huge in comparison to Alex.

And it sat in a large throne, smirking no other smile than the one upon Satan's lips as he ruled his throne surrounded by flames and burning souls.

 _He_ wielded a large piece of armor with colorful gems. A golden hand, with a different gem on each knuckle.

Alex saw a glimpse of the Vision, and the yellow gem upon his forehead.

The missing puzzle piece to a part of life yet seen by Alex and The Avengers.

* * *

_** Alex's POV ** _

"What do you mean, schizophrenia?"

"I'm sorry to deliver such bad news Mr. Rogers, but I'm afraid that's one of the only possible diagnoses."

"And the others?"

"Either way, from what we've collected so far, it appears to be a chemical imbalance in the brain. Nightmares themselves are alone a mental disorder than can cause many others as side affects. We'll have to run a few more tests to be sure. I'm sorry."

"Please, there has to be some other way. She seems completely normal besides these strange visions, I don't understand how it could be something so...in-depth if it's not affecting her 24/7."

"I'm not going to lie with you, the way her eyes were glowing along with her skin...that's not normal, even for a superhuman. It could be something to do with her genetic qualities, but I don't see how that could be positive in any way."

It was silent for a moment.

I tried my best to listen to Steve's response, but it was so muffled I couldn't understand.

"Knock knock,"

My eyes turned to the direction of the doorway to see Piper standing there.

"Hey," I sighed, happy to see her, also frustrated since my ease dropping session had officially ended.

"What happened, girl?" Piper asked.

"I don't know."

"Was it long after we texted?"

"No, probably not even five minutes...I just...lost it, I guess."

"Well, I saw the doctor was talking to Steve, so, maybe we'll know what's wrong soon and we can get you patched up, hospital bug."

"Yeah, hopefully." I chuckled softly.

Steve then walked into the room.

"You're awake," he smiled, his eyes lighting up like a child's on Christmas.

"I've been for about six minutes or so."

He walked over to me, "You've been counting?"

"Maybe." I grinned as he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips.

"Do you need anything, water, food, something?"

"I think I'm okay," I sighed. "I just wish all of these needles were  _out_  of my body."

"Well they need to stay in, for now."

"I know..."

"And I know that you're uncomfortable, and I wouldn't have brought you here unless I really had to, and, I  _had_ to."

"Steve, I trust you...and I believe you."

Steve nodded gently before kissing my forehead, running his hand softly over my hair.

Suddenly there was another knock on the door, and all three of us turned our heads to look.

"You seem to be very popular, Mrs. Rogers. I'm sorry for interrupting but I have to run a few tests now that she's awake...you both are welcome to wait out in the hall."

I looked up at Steve with concerned eyes, and he looked down into mine with sorrow filled ones. "It's gonna be okay," He whispered, wrapping his palm tightly in mine. His hand was flaming hot against my chilled one, our wedding bands lining up identically as our fingers intertwined. We shared one last kiss that took my breath away before he pulled back, taking his warmth and comfort with him.

Piper and Steve left the room in silence, leaving me to a stare down with a strange man who'd I'd never met who expected me to trust him with my life.

Exactly why I hated hospitals.

"So, how are you feeling, Mrs. Rogers?"

"Decent, I guess. A few aches and pains, but, hey, what can I expect?"

He chuckled to himself as he made his way next to the bed, fiddling with the machines I was hooked up to as our conversation continued.

"What about your head? Any throbbing, headaches?"

"A little, nothing irregular for what's been happening lately."

"Can you tell me a little more about these visions you've been having?"

"Uh, sure. They're very random, they kind of just take over whenever they want to, I'll black out and have a flashback from a moment in my life. But the ending will be different, even if the scene already ended badly in real life before, it will end even worse in the vision, usually with my own severe injury or someone I love getting hurt."

"I see. And how do you feel before these visions happen? Any signs when they're about to take over?"

"Sometimes I'll get a little light headed, but, other than that my eyes will just get super heavy and close and next thing I know I'm re-watching my own life."

"I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not exactly sure what's going on. Last night was quite a scare. Were you having a vision when the accident happened?"

"No...not really."

"Was anything happening in your head?"

My jaw clenched before speaking. I refused to tell this guy everything, no matter how much trouble it got me in. I knew that Steve had already told him all of the other information, and I wasn't going to share anything new with him.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay. Well, I'm going to run a few tests so we can try and get a better idea of what's going on."

I just nodded gently, not caring to respond orally.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

"Steve, she'll be okay." Piper said soothingly.

The two sat alone on a bench in the east wing of the medical ward, just down the hall and around a corner from where Alex was.

"She's strong, she's a fighter, but  _this_  is something that can defeat anything, or anyone." Steve said.

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. The doctor said that her symptoms seem very abnormal, even for someone with her genetics."

"And, last night, you said she was...glowing?"

"It was like a scene from a horror film." Steve said quietly, looking down. His eyes shone with the pain of what he had seen.

Silence fell over them.

Piper sighed prior to breaking the sheen of silence that had fallen over them both. "I've got some old mythology books in my room, we can start reading up if you'd like."

"Mythology?"

"You mentioned earlier that the doctor thinks it's something of the supernatural. And besides, after what happened with Dexter and Alex's mom, it wouldn't shock me if there was something un-earthly going on here. It's like this stuff chases her or something."

"I never believed in ghosts until what happened with Alex. I don't think I'll ever live that down."

"What about that time you peed your pants?"

"Piper, I never..."

"You're bluffing!" Piper exclaimed, a smile rising on her lips.

"Uh...no..."

Piper began laughing. "I never thought this trick actually worked! I've wanted to try it for years and it finally prevails!"

Steve just looked down, jaw clenched, cheeks bright red.

Piper noticed and tried her best to calm herself down. "Steve, I'm sorry, I just, the tension..."

"It's okay." Steve muttered.

"No it's not! I feel bad now," she snickered, "I didn't think I was actually going to point out something that actually happened."

The silence returned.

With a straight face, Piper spoke up, "So, was it recent, or..."

"It was back in the 30's. One night, Bucky and I watched a horror movie, and...yeah."

Piper snickered in her throat, her face staying flat.

Steve's head turned and his eyes burned a glare into Piper's face.

"I'm sorry." she said, biting her lip and clearing her throat.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Piper was called in for a job by Agent Hill and Steve decided to go back and visit Alex. It had been a couple of hours since the doctor had asked them to leave, and he was beginning to get worried.

Walking up to Alex's room, he knocked on the door gently.

He heard his wife's voice ring out, "Come in!"

Steve opened the door to see Alex lying up in her bed reading a book.

* * *

_**Alex's POV** _

"The doctor never came and told me you were done." Steve said.

"Huh, that's weird. Well, he finished about twenty minutes ago, so, you didn't miss much."

Steve pulled up a chair and leaned on the mattress. "So how have you been feeling?"

"Eh, the usual." I said, marking the page in my book and setting it aside.

"Do they know anything yet?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Not to my knowledge, no."

Steve nodded in response.

"Have they said anything to you?"

"No." Steve replied.

"Where'd Piper go?"

"Maria called her in, they probably needed her to fax papers or something."

"I honestly feel bad for her, I mean, they treat her like a paper slave."

"She signed up for it though. They wouldn't let her hang around unless she did something."

"I know but I still feel bad. She's like a clueless puppy sometimes and I'm the worried mother."

Steve chuckled. He looked down and blushed, making me smile. He was so cute when he did that.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Steve got up to answer it. Which was strange considering one of us could've just yelled.

Once the door swung open, I instantly recognized Natasha's red hair peeking over Steve's shoulder.

"Don't let those two hobos in here!"

"Hobos?" Steve asked.

"I'm just kidding!" I laughed.

"Hey sickie, we brought you some stuff to cheer you up." Nat said.

"Should I be scared?"

"Not that I'm a huge gift giver, but..." she reached into her bag, pulling out a bag of mini Reese's Cups.

"Aw yes!" I chuckled. She tossed me the bag and I caught it. "Thank you!"

"Not a problem."

"So, how have you been feeling?" Bruce asked, walking over to the bedside.

"A little better. I mean I feel fine other than when I have the weird visions attacks, so, I don't know." I said, stuffing my mouth full with the candy I'd been blessed with.

"Well, you don't look very ill. So, that's a plus." Bruce said.

"Not really, especially if it's all up here." I said, tapping the side of my head with my index finger.

"I know, I was just, trying to...ease the tension..." Bruce muttered awkwardly.

Steve's face was knotted in confusion, a look I'd grown used to seeing almost everyday, and Nat was biting her lip trying not to laugh. Bruce awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as the silence swept over the room.

"So, is there a reason we're all standing here like statues...or?" Nat spoke up.

I shrugged my shoulders.

Bruce began looking through my files attached to a clip board next to my bed, and Nat sat down by my feet.

"I was going to ask you this before you got hospitalized, but, how would you like to come and see Clint with me this weekend?"

"That's be awesome! If, they let me out of here, that is."

"Alex, I don't know if that's a good idea." Steve piped up.

"I'll be fine, Steve."

"I think a little excursion out of base would be good for her." Nat said.

Steve shot her a death glare.

"I don't think it'd be horrible idea either, Steve." Bruce chimed in.

His glare shifted to Bruce.

"Maybe a little fresh air would do me some good."

"Honey, I don't know..." Steve trailed off.

"Please, baby?" I said, curving my bottom lip out and giving him my puppy dog eyes.

"If you do go I'm coming with you."

"I'd hate to break it to you, but you'll have to stay here and train the newbies."

"Nat, really?"

"I'm just saying! Besides, Als and I could use a little girl time on the way there, right?"

"Yeah, Steve we'll be fine, I promise."

"Just, please be safe." He sighed.

"Yes! Thank you!" I cheered. "C'mere and gimme a hug!"

Steve walked over and gently wrapped his arms around my back, and I laced mine around his.

He kissed the side of my head and muttered an "I love you" into my ear.

"I love you too," I muttered back, kissing his cheek.

"Yuck, get a room." Natasha said.

"Steve, can you, come here for a second?" Bruce said, standing by the doorway. He used his head to motion that he wanted to talk out in the hall. He was looking down at my medical papers with a concerned face which led to fear rising in my veins.

Steve walked out with Bruce, leaving me with the confused look usually plastered on Steve's features.

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"Nothing? Nat he was looking at that clipboard like it had my time and date of death on there."

"Don't say that, Bruce overreacts a lot. He makes something out of nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

"What's wrong?" Steve questioned.

"Her charts, they're not normal at all. Did that doctor say anything to you?"

"No, and what do you mean by not normal?"

"Look, her brain waves aren't too bad, but, most of her vital sings make no sense. It says her temperature is 110 degrees, her pulse is all over the place, her blood pressure, everything. But she looks fine. It's like they're not even her readings." Bruce said.

"Are you sure they didn't switch the papers or something?"

"It says her name and date of birth right there at the top. What puzzles me is why that doctor didn't say anything. Did you catch his name?"

"Now that I think about it, he wasn't wearing a tag or anything."

Bruce looked up with furrowed eyebrows and his jaw clenched. "Looks like we've got some digging to do. Don't tell Alex about her readings. We can mention that we think the doctor is a little strange so she can keep her guard up, but hopefully they'll release her soon since we are in the same building and she seems perfectly stable."

"I hope so."

* * *

While Bruce and Steve were having their hushed conversation, Natasha and Alex had carried one on of their own.

_**Alex POV** _

"So, Steve seems to be getting more affectionate in public with you." Nat said, winking.

I blushed a little, "Come on, we're not making out. Geesh, you act like we're all a bunch of horny teenagers."

"Well, I would say virgins, but..."

My cheeks turned even darker. "We're married, FYI." I said, holding up my left hand with my wedding band on it.

"I'm just teasing, calm down. You're turning purple already."

I covered my cheeks with my hands, feeling exactly how hot they actually were.

"Where is this conversation going?" I whined.

"I was headed towards having kids, but it kind of went off track."

"Kids? Why?"

"I don't know, I was just curious. Have you and Steve thought about mingling American flag and purple force fields yet?"

"It's crossed my mind, and I've sure it's crossed his, but we haven't really talked much about it. I think we're a little to busy to be raising a kid, Nat."

"I agree, plus I don't think Fury would be happy to have little spawns of us running around, but, that's not his decision."

"And a kid would be a huge target for any threat or villain out there. If Steve and I had a child, every evil thing out there would want to get it's paws on it to get their paws on us and corrupt everything. A superhuman child would literally be the key to destroying the planet."

She pursed her lips and nodded in response, agreeing with what I was saying.

I would ask if her and Bruce had thought about it in return, but, I remembered what had happened to Nat. She told me all about it once, and I couldn't sleep that night. I probably even had a nightmare or two that I just couldn't recall at the moment.

Just then, Steve and Bruce walked back into the room.

"We should probably get going, before they come and kick us out at least." Bruce spoke up.

Goodbyes were said, hugs were exchanged, and then only minutes later Steve and I were left to ourselves again.

"Bruce said something about that doctor of yours."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"Just, be careful. Bruce said he's a little weird."

"Yeah, I could tell. Hopefully if I can keep it together for tonight then they'll let me go in the morning. 24 hours of no breakdowns should prove it to them that I'm fine."

"I'm staying here tonight." Steve blurted out.

"You should go back to our room and get some rest, honey. You need it."

"I'm fine, I got 70 years of sleep, remember?"

"Yeah, but that was at least 15 years ago by now."

"70 out rules 15 by a long run."

"I don't care. I'll be fine."

"But what if you're not, and something happens...I can't leave you alone..." Steve trailed off.

I leaned my head to the side, looking over at him with a face that spoke of loving defeat. He wrapped his hand in mine, returning my look plus his adorable smirk.

"What am I gonna do with you?" I sighed.

He shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever you do, don't let me go."

"Never."

* * *

Later that night, I began drifting off into a peaceful sleep as I felt Steve's thumb gently caressing my palm, our fingers still locked.

I turned to him with almost closet eye lids and relaxed features, "Babe, go get some sleep." I yawned.

"I will, later." He said, lifting my hand up and pressing his lips to it.

A small grin found its was upon my face, just before I fell into the darkness that was the calm, comforting sense of rest.

My mind brought back a calming memory to dream about, one that brought a smile to my face every time I recalled it.

_The ride back to Avengers Tower in the quinjet was rather quiet to start out._

_Tony was in the pilot's seat, Bruce sat wrapped up in blankets with Beats earphones blasting music to for calming comfort; Thor and Nat wandered aimlessly around the small space, acting as if something new would pop up when they turned around. Even Clint was quiet, just sitting there fiddling with his bow and arrows. It was just a regular, boring flight back to home base. Steve sat next to me, his arm wrapped around my leather covered body. I leaned my head on his shoulder, hoping I would drift off to sleep. I was still cold from the forest, the tips of my fingers and nose still remaining nearly numb. Other than the humming of the engine and roaring winds outside the jet's walls, my sniffling was one of the only sounds within the area._

_After sniffling for about the fortieth time, Clint finally spoke up._

_"Hey, sniffles, are you trying to smell your way out of here or something?"_

_"No, sorry, I'm just cold." I said, snuggling closer to Steve._

_"Maybe you should go cuddle with Bruce, he's sweating buckets over there." Clint muttered, getting a slap on the arm from Nat._

_I looked over at Bruce, feeling horrible for him. He was covered in a sheen of sweat. His hair was beginning to absorb the moisture in small beads, causing his hair to bunch together about every eighty strands. His breathing was steady as he stared off into space with red and droopy eyes. It always pained me to see him like that, especially after knowing that he and I had shared the same type of thoughts and certain actions in the past._

_Attempts, I should say._

_"Okay, we are on the direct route back to the Tower. Please refrain from asking the pilot any questions as he does not care about your concerns." Tony said, fiddling with a few more buttons on the dashboard before turning around and jumping out of his seat._

_Tony turned his sight to Thor, who he noticed was still standing since we boarded the jet almost two hours ago._

_"Do Asgardians sit? Is that a thing or is it against the rules?" Tony chirped._

_"I have no need to sit. For I will only become bored and drowsy, much like Lady Alex."_

_"Hey, watch it meatloaf." I replied._

_"I am only stating the truth, Mrs. America."_

_I rolled my eyes, leaning my head back and groaning with irritation._

_Tony and Clint both snickered, proud that their attitude had rubbed off on Thor._

_"Sometimes I really want to slap all of you." Natasha muttered under her breath as she walked over to Bruce._

_The rest of the ride home was a little less silent, more conversing and movement happened other than pacing back and forth._

_Later that night, music thumped loudly inside Avengers Tower, and it was like a strange type of family reunion._

_Piper helped me get cleaned up and get into a form fitting dress presentable for a party upon our return, even though I really just wanted to sleep...Tony was set on carrying out this party tonight._

_I talked to many people that night. Conversing with Sam for a little while was nice, considering I hadn't seen him since SHIELD got corrupted from the inside by HYDRA and everyone was trying to kill us._

_Even later into the night, after basically everyone had left, the main squad remained. We were all talking, laughing, trying and failing miserably to pick up Thor's hammer. Apparently we all "weren't worthy"._

_And that's when it began._

_A beaten down robot, a skeleton with glowing eyes, stumbled into the room with the physique and movements of a zombie._

_That night, under twinkling stars and clear skies, was when it all started._

_Ultron began, and all of our lives changed._

_Never again would my eyes see the same, and it was only the beginning._

* * *

The next morning, I awoke to a cheerful Steve informing me that I'd been released from the ward and could go back to the apartment.

I was so thankful that I could finally be freed from all of the IVs and beeping machines.

Steve went to go continue training the others, and I used the time I had alone wisely. Steve had told me to stay in bed, and just relax. He must have known that was a joke from the beginning.

As soon as he was gone, I broke out into full on research mode.

The base didn't have a library since everything was all high tech and fancy, but luckily; being the true nerd I was; I had a ton of old textbooks in a box in the closet. I'd brought them with me from the old apartment, to Avengers Tower, to here.

Even though, Nat, Bruce, or Steve didn't suspect a thing, I could multi task quite well.

When Nat and I had been talking, I distinctly heard what Bruce had said.

_"It's like they're not even her readings."_

The sentence pondered in my mind for what felt like days, when in reality it was only hours. I knew that my vitals were normal, but the readings were off. It had to be the machines.

Granted, this place had some of the best technology on the planet, I knew that the machines weren't just going crazy for any reason.

There was energy present that was throwing them off.

Two possibilities crossed my mind:

1) Energy surges because of someone tampering with the fuse boxes or something.

2) I was dealing with a ghost again.

* * *

Withing an hour or two, books were spread all over Steve and I's queen size mattress, and my mind was pulsing with fresh information.

Suddenly the door swung open, and I gasped, slamming the book shut that was in my arms.

"And what exactly are you doing?" Piper questioned, crossing her arms and pursing her lips.

"Um...homework?" I flashed a false, cheesy smile.

"Uh huh. Right." She said, walking over to the bed and picking up one of the open books.

"Mythology? What are you getting into?"

I was busted. I knew there was no way out of this one.

"I think there's something going on. With me, with everything. I know I'm not schizophrenic, and these flashbacks are headed to whole new level of weird."

"So you're thinking...monsters?"

"Ghosts, actually."

"Really, Alex?"

"Why are you surprised?! We've already dealt with creepy stuff and ghosts before!"

"I know," she sighed. "I was honestly starting to think the same thing."

"See! I'm not crazy!"

"Steve and I were going to start looking around in some stuff too. I thought about it the other night. I mentioned it when we were waiting out in the hall after your creepy doctor kicked us out."

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know, but we better get working before things get any worse."

* * *

That night in bed, I told Steve what Piper and I had been brewing up, and he was ready to do whatever it took to make things right again.

And then the point that Nat brought up with me earlier flooded my frontal lobe again.

"Steve?"

"Hmm?" He said drowsily.

"Have you ever thought about, y'know, having kids?"

He turned to look at me, concern in his eyes.

"Yeah, why did you think I didn't want to?"

"No, no, I wasn't sure actually. I guess I never brought it up because it never really crossed my mind before."

"It'll cross mine sometimes, but, not a whole lot."

"I mean, do you want to?"

"Why, do _you_  want to?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you." I chuckled.

"I'd do anything for you." He said, running his hand gently across my cheek.

"And I'd do anything for you!" I laughed, slightly frustrated in a loving way that he wouldn't give me an answer.

A smile grew on his face, spreading onto mine.

"I think kids would be fun," He began. "But, it would also be a lot of work, especially keeping them safe."

"Yeah, I agree. I think I'd worry to much about them being a target for villains."

"But, it's not our decision. If God has a kid, or kids, planned for us, then they'll come." Steve said.

"Right." I sighed.

It was silent for a moment, before I decided to break it.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."


	4. Fourth of July

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A filler chapter for Steve's Birthday/July 4th.

I checked the calendar, a huge grin appearing on my face.

It was a week until July 4th.

A week until Steve's birthday.

He always insisted that I shouldn't do anything for his birthday...

Like that was going to stop me.

Piper always helped me prepare for Steve's birthday party, and Tony would let me decorate Avengers Tower.

But this year, things were different.

The temporary base wasn't exactly the largest, and there were limits on who we could actually invite since the place had to stay as top secret as possible.

"Hey, did you find the box with the streamers in it yet?" Piper called.

"No!" I shouted. I was digging around in Piper's closet, trying to find one last box of decorations. Piper kept the boxes of party decorations in her closet since she kept things organized and she had the extra space since she was the only one living in her assigned apartment.

"It has to be in there somewhere!"

"I know!"

I felt the beads of sweat forming on my forehead and the smell of cardboard and dust bunnies filled my nostrils. It smelled like spring cleaning and I could feel my frustration levels rising. I was kneeling on the floor, my hair drooping down on my left in a messy braid aside from the small wisps hanging around my flushed face. I was digging through box, after box, after box, and it seemed like the hunt was never going to end.

And I was only looking for streamers.

I threw my hands up, groaning in defeat. "Can't we just go buy some more?! This is ridiculous!"

"And how would we get there? Fly?" Piper replied sarcastically.

I'd forgotten that almost all sources of transportation had been cut off from basically everyone at the base unless it was provided by staff and they had to know where you were going, and why. The only transportation that hadn't taken from anyone was their own two legs.

I sighed in defeat. "You know what? Who needs streamers?! We'll be fine!" I continued my ranting I walked out of the closet.

"Umm, Alex?" Piper muttered.

"What?!" I shouted.

She held up the rolls of streamers and I inhaled deeply to keep from screaming.

"Okay, we found them. That's good." I breathed. "I'm...I'm just gonna, take five. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, be my guest. Just don't take too long, we've got a  _lot_  of stuff to do."

I walked out to the hall, rounding a few corners until I made it to Steve and I's apartment room. I placed my hand against the scanner on the wall until I heard the familiar beep of granted access. The door popped open, and I slipped inside. I rested my back against the door with my head in my hands until I felt it click shut once again. I exhaled deeply into the silence of our room before opening my eyes and leaning my head back against the door.

"What has decorating come to, Alex?" I muttered to myself.

I changed into a new t-shirt and new pair of shorts and splashed my face with cool water to regain myself. I usually didn't get this stressed about decorating, especially for Steve's birthday, but I was just overwhelmed. The lucid nightmares and terrifying visions certainly hadn't been helping.

Before heading back to Piper, I grabbed a couple of CDs that we could listen to and a couple of empty boxes in case we needed them.

* * *

"Hey, you changed!" Piper grinned as I walked into her room and maneuvered my way around the door.

"Yeah, I figured some fresh clothes might help calm me down since the other ones were all sweaty and gross already."

"Good call. And while you were gone not only did I find the streamers but I also came across these bad boys!"

I looked up to see Piper holding two huge bags of patriotic colored confetti while a devious grin on her face.

"And what will we use those for?"

"Well, we either get confetti canons or we drop them from the rafters."

"Hmm, buckets in the rafters would be good, and if we got them all to dump at the same time it could rain confetti when everyone jumps out and yells surprise!"

"See! You're good at this."

There was sudden knock on the door, making Piper and I both freeze. She dropped the bags of confetti, and I worked as fast as possible to shove things off of Piper's bed in case Steve was at the door.

Piper made her way to the door, cracking it open only an inch or so. "Please leave a message after the beep...beep!" She shouted.

I could hear a man's voice, but it was muffled enough by the door that I couldn't tell who it was.

"Hey, there's an old fart out here claiming to be Tony Stark who wants in the room!"

"Let him in!" I called.

"It's about time, geesh, you guys act like you're managing a cult in here." Tony scoffed as he walked through the doorway.

"Well, decorating is like a cult. Only organized and no satanic rituals."

"Fair enough." He said.

"C'mere oldie," I chuckled, darting over and giving him a hug.

"I didn't know you stopping by so soon! You kind of disappeared after helping Bruce with my...medical tests."

"Sorry, duty calls. And what's this I hear about you being hospitalized again?"

"Long story. We can talk later. Is Pepper coming too?"

"She should be flying in the 3rd or possible the morning of the 4th, but she'll be here."

"Awesome! This is just so great, everything is going to be amazing!" I squealed.

"I can see things coming along. But, isn't July 4th in like, a week?"

"Yes, but there's invitation addressing and sending to do, making sure we have everything, planning out exactly what we are going to do, and making sure everyone knows the plan without Steve finding out about the surprise party. It's a rough life."

"I see."

"Wait, quick question," I piped up.

"Yeah?"

"Is there any way you could hook us up with some really cool fireworks? Good quality, big explosions...?"

"Surely, but, what have you ever done for me to deserve this kind of praise?" Tony questioned teasingly.

"Isn't my love enough?" I said, quivering my bottom lip and giving him big puppy dog eyes.

"I guess," he said, rolling his eyes and giving me another hug. "Give me a couple of days, and I see what I can do."

"Thank you!"

"No problem. Don't hurt yourselves!" He called as he walked out.

"No promises..." Piper muttered.

* * *

Later that day, Piper and I had all of the invitations addressed and had officially gone through about ten albums of music.

"Okay, I will get these in the mail, and you need to get back in time for Steve. If you're not in your room when he gets back he'll know something's up." Piper said.

"Alright, thank you so much for helping me." I smiled, giving her a hug.

"My pleasure. Now go! Your man awaits!"

I made my way down the hallway rather hastily, knowing that I was cutting it close to around the time when Steve gets back from training every day.

Just as I rounded the corner to where our room was, I saw him already standing outside the door, fiddling with the scanner.

"Hey, hon!" I smiled, walking up to him, giving him a hug and peck on the lips.

"Hey I was wondering where you were when you didn't answer the door."

"Oh, I was just chilling with Piper. She had some time off today and wanted to hang out for a little while."

"That's good, you're getting out a little." He grinned warmly, making me smile.

We walked in the apartment together, and went about our normal afternoon conversation. The same old questions were asked:

"So how was your day?"

"Did you do anything special while I was gone?"

"Have you seen (insert name here) lately?"

"How was training?"

Etc.

* * *

The next thing I knew, it was July 4th.

And so far, Steve was absolutely  _clueless_  about his party.

I had wished him a happy birthday in the morning, and the day had carried on as just another normal one until after the training session was over.

Sam had gotten there early that morning, and as soon as Steve was done with training Sam got him busy with conversation. They eventually wandered off to somewhere else on base, and that was Piper and I's cue to start decorating.

The afternoon seemed to fly by, and Piper and I were down to the wire on getting everything put up. Clint had come back to visit for a couple of days and for the party of course. Rhodey was on his way, Pepper had flown in about on hour or two ago, and the whole family was getting back together. The last time everyone had seen each other was Tony's big party at Avenger's Tower, and that felt like forever ago. Sam was keeping Steve busy by talking about their current on-hold mission of finding Bucky while everyone else was helping with decorating, including myself.

Tony was out working on setting up the fireworks outside, Natasha, Pepper, Wanda, Piper and I were decorating the main dining hall where the party was going to mostly take place, Clint was working on getting the buckets for the confetti set up in the rafters since he didn't mind heights, and everyone was hustling around doing whatever needed to be done.

"Hey, has anybody seen Thor yet?!" I called over all the noise.

I got an encore of "No!" in return. Great. I couldn't exactly send mail to Asgard and nobody had heard from Rapunzel's masculine twin in weeks.

I went back to working on tying up the streamers...those blasted 'hide and go seek' streamers...and I suddenly heard thunder roar outside.

"Never mind!" I shouted. I finished taping up the last bit of the section I was working on and darted outside to greet the Asgardian.

"Lady Alex!" He called, his voice deep yet cheerful as always.

"Meatloaf!" I chuckled, practically running into a hug with him.

Thor's hugs were great and all, but sometimes I felt like I was going to die.

Talk about not knowing your own strength.

"So, what is it that needs to be done in order for the Captain's birthday celebration?"

"Well, Tony is on firework duty for later tonight, the girls are helping me decorate the dining hall, well, and Clint, he's working on confetti for the rafters, and honestly there are people running around everywhere. I'm not sure what you're best at, but, I'm sure there's something you can do."

Once we were back inside, Piper came running up to me.

"Red alert! Sam texted saying Steve's starting to worry about where you are! Go back to your room, just stall until I text you, okay? We've got everything under control."

"Okay," I breathed, my pulse racing and my body coming to life with excitement.

"And try to get into your nice dress before he gets back to your room!" Piper called as I darted off.

"I'll do what I can!"

"Hey, Piper?" Clint called down from the rafters.

"Yeah?" She called up.

"We, we-uh...kinda left a surprise for Alex, for Steve...on their bed..."

"What?!" Piper shouted.

Nat snickered, and Piper grew worried.

"Well, what's the surprise, Clint?" Piper snapped.

* * *

I sprinted back to Steve and I's room.

I got inside with minutes to spare, and I darted across the room to the closet.

I began changing into the dress I'd bought for Steve's birthday, which was a legitimate Captain America dress Piper had found online. It was a blue silk halter dress, with Steve's shield on the the left side of the skirt and a red belt across the rib cage.

As I was frantically changing, I noticed something at the foot of the bed.

It was a little white box, with a red bow on top.

I darted over and red the tag on top.

_To: Alex...for Steve_

_From: Your Loving Friends, Clint, Natasha, and Tony._

I took of the lid part of the box, and my eyes widened at what was inside.

A skimpy, practically 100% transparent, silky, strappy, patriotic... _lingerie_.

"You've got to be joking." I breathed, a mix of horrified and concerned at the piece of fabric in front of me.

Just as I started to pick it up, I heard Steve messing with the scanner outside the door again.

He still hadn't figured the thing out and we'd been using if for a couple of months now.

I quickly put the lid back on the box and slid it under the bed, just in time before Steve opened the door. I blew a wisp of hair out of my face nervously and started wiping my sweaty palms on the skirt of my dress.

"Happy birthday!" I called.

Steve grinned his famous grin, walking up to me and kissing me.

"Thanks, babe. You didn't have to dress up just for me."

"I did. You know I did." I smiled, resting my hands on his shoulders as he put his hands on my hips.

"And a Captain America dress? I approve." He chuckled.

"I'd certainly hope so." I laughed softly.

We rested our foreheads together and shared a chaste kiss. I always had to stand up on my tip toes when I was barefoot to kiss him properly, which made him smile.

"Did you have a good time with Sam?"

"Yeah, we've just got  _lots_  of work to do."

"Does he have any news on...you know who?"

"No. Not recent. He's gone radio silent ever since Washington. There's been a few cases here and there, but, they're almost too far out to tell us anything."

I could see the pain and hurt from Steve's eyes. I knew how much he missed Bucky, and I felt horrible for him.

"We'll find him. I promise."

He nodded gently in response, looking down slightly to try and hide the pained expression on his face.

"Hey, lets not think about sad things. Let's think about happy things," I said lovingly, wrapping my palm in his. "You're officially 97, technically you're only 32 if you subtract the ice age."

He grinned at my use of words. "Did you do all of this math?"

"Yes. I did. You went under when you were 27 in 1945, and they brought you up again in 2011. Therefore, that adds four years minus the 70 spent frozen so you've experienced 32 years alive actually conscious, while you've actually survived 97."

"I can't wait to explain this to our children someday."

"Yeah, someday." I smiled.

I suddenly got slapped back into reality by the cold draft of air hitting my mid back.

I'd completely forgotten to zip up my dress. In the midst of the chaos, I had tied the halter straps in a bow behind my neck, but I didn't actually zip the back up.

"Hey, would you mind helping me zip my dress up?"

"No problem," Steve muttered, a small blush rising to his cheeks.

I turned around and moved my hair out of the way to give him access, and he slid the zipper up the back of my dress with ease.

"Thank you." I sighed.

"You're welcome."

No matter how close Steve and I had gotten, he still blushed at the little things like he did when we had just met.

Another reason why I loved him.

Suddenly my phone buzzed and I darted over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"How's the stalling coming along?" Piper whispered. "Do you need back up?"

"No, I'm great! No problems here." I smiled, turning around and grinning at Steve.

"So you're good?"

"Yeah, totally." I paused. "Is there any thing you need...or?"

"No, no, we're good. Rhodey just got here and the last couple of guests are rolling in. We're almost ready and Tony just got finished with the fireworks. I'll give you a buzz when everyone's hiding. Give us about five to ten minutes."

"Sounds great, I'll see you in the morning!" I said, cheerfully.

"Huh?" Piper muttered, not understanding my code. I quickly hung up before she could blow our cover.

"Is Piper okay? She usually doesn't call at this time of night." Steve said.

"Yeah, yeah. She just wanted to get together again, you know her. Party animal."

It was quiet for a moment, before I decided to let on that I was taking Steve somewhere. He was probably wondering why I was dressed up anyways.

"Well, if you were wondering, I'm taking you out dinner for the night."

"I thought we weren't allowed to leave..."

"They're making something special for you tonight in the dining hall." I muttered.

"It sounds great. I'll go change." He smiled, kissing my forehead before walking over to the closet. I walked into the bathroom and started putting on a some makeup and fixing my hair. I wanted to look nice in all of the pictures that were going to be taken.

* * *

Steve and I walked down the main hall, keeping up conversation to try and drown out the silence. Everyone was gone. They were hiding and waiting for us to arrive. I didn't want Steve to begin to wonder where everyone was, but it was a little late for that.

"Where did everyone go? The halls are never this empty..."

"Who knows." I sighed.

"And what about Sam? He said he was going to be hanging around, but, I haven't seen him for hours."

I felt a smile creep onto my face.

I turned to be in front of Steve and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What is it?" He chuckled.

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. I was just double checking." I said as I pulled out a handkerchief.

Steve looked at my questioningly. "What's that for?"

"Do you trust me?" I asked again, folding the fabric to cover his eyes.

"Yes." He answered, going along with what I was doing. I gently tied it around his eyes, and held his warm hand in mine.

"Okay, now I'm going to lead you somewhere. Don't try and guess, just follow me."

"Yes ma'am." He teased.

I led Steve down the halls and all the way to the dining hall, which was dimly lit. Piper popped up from behind a table and gave me a quick thumbs up before crouching back down.

"You can take off the blindfold, Captain." I said, not able to suppress the smile on my face.

He untied the blindfold and looked around at the dark room questionably until the lights came on and everyone jumped out and yelled "Surprise!", including myself. Confetti started to rain from the ceiling, and I mouthed a thank you to Clint across the room. He winked in response, making me laugh.

Steve leaned down to me, the smile not able to leave his face either.

"Alex, did you do all of this for me?"

"Of course I did! Did you really think I was going to let your birthday slip by without a party?"

"I love you, so much."

"I love you too, old man." I chuckled.

He smiled, kissing my lips quickly before returning his focus to everyone around us.

And so the party began.

* * *

Everyone was talking, laughing, telling funny stories, just overall having a great time. I looked around and felt proud that I could bring everyone back together for a trip down memory lane.

I went to grab another drink when I ran into Clint and Natasha, who had huge smiles on their faces.

"I'm  _not_  wearing that gift you two and Tony got me. It's just disturbing."

"Aw come on!" Nat whined. "Steve would  _love_  it."

"That's not our type of thing. I'm giving it back to you when I get the chance."

"Did Steve see it yet?" Clint asked.

"No, I hid it before he  _could_  see it."

"Party pooper." Clint sighed.

"Look, thanks for your 'generosity' and all, but Steve's not a kinky person. He probably doesn't even know that the term "birthday suit" is dirty and it probably doesn't even cross his mind that... _that_  is considered a birthday gift for a spouse." I said.

"We were just trying to have a little fun, geesh." Nat laughed.

"Well you two," I said, pointing to them with my index and middle finger, "are dirty."

"You got that right." Clint muttered as I walked away.

* * *

Later into the night, Tony called as all outside and the firework show began.

The fireworks were huge in the sky, exploding bursts of color and truly beautiful ones at that. Some had different shapes, one was just like Steve's shield.

"I can't thank you enough, for, everything." Steve practically yelled into my ear over the loud explosions of color in the night sky.

"You're welcome!" I shouted back, laughing before kissing him lovingly as a firework exploded in the background directly over our heads in the shape of a heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 Preview:
> 
> Alex knows that whatever going on in her head certainly isn't just PTSD from the battle with Ultron. Piper and Alex turn to mythology books for answers since science has failed to answer their questions. They soon discover that the answers they've been looking for are closer than they ever imagined.


	5. The Saddest People Smile the Brightest

"Hey, are you almost ready?" Natasha asked from my bedroom. I was gathering a few last things in the bathroom for our trip to Clint's farmhouse for the weekend.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Sorry I'm slow."

"I just want to get out of here before they change their minds on letting us leave."

"I don't see why they don't let anybody get out every now and then. I mean, I get it, training is crucial and all, but people are going to lose their minds in here."

"You can say that again."

"And I don't know about you, but I miss JARVIS."

"What do you mean miss? He's still around, just, walking around on two feet with a head and limbs."

"I think it's awesome that he's in humanoid form now, but I miss the snide comments when I would be singing or doing something silly alone in a room. It was much easier to talk to people through him too, you could just command him to send a message and you would've even have to get up."

"You're just lazy. And I thought you were an Avenger." Natasha cooed teasingly.

I poked my head through the doorway and glared at her. "Now is not the time for snide comments. We're about to fly in a jet together for almost 20 hours, we don't need to be cranky."

"Hey, you're the one getting cranky. I'm just stating the facts."

"Whatever." I sighed.

It was silent for a moment before she spoke up again.

"So where's the birthday present?"

I poked my head out again, "That's classified information."

I returned to my packing as she continued, "You really don't trust me, do you?" She laughed.

"Can you blame me?"

"Not really but I don't see why letting us do you a favor for Steve is a bad thing!"

"I already told you this at the party weeks ago. I, am not, and most certainly will never,  _ever,_  try on that present."

"You're loss." She hummed.

I finished packing up my things, and as soon as I zipped up my bag, Steve opened the apartment door.

"Great! Now I have to watch you two suck face."

"Nice to see you too, Nat." Steve said, closing the door.

I walked over to Steve and purposefully began kissing him passionately, just to bother Nat.

"Get a freaking room."

"We are in our room," I cooed, turning my head only for seconds before kissing him again.

"I'm waiting out in the hall." She grumbled, brushing past us.

"You're just jealous!" I called.

"In your wildest dreams, kids!"

After the door had closed behind her, I pulled away and looked up at Steve, who was blushing beet red.

"Sorry," I chuckled. "She's been sassing me all afternoon, I figured it was time for a little sass myself."

"You don't see me complaining, do you?"

"Hmm, I don't know, you're a secretive man, Rogers." I said with a wink before spinning around to grab my bag off the bed.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Yeah, she's been bugging me about leaving for a couple of hours, but, who could say I wasn't stalling to see my beloved one last time?"

"Be safe. Call me when you get there and tell Clint I said hello."

"I will. Keep the newbies in line, and tell Wanda I'll see her soon."

"Will do."

He leaned down and kissed me passionately, holding me tightly against him. "I love you."

"Love you too, Captain."

* * *

The ride with Natasha started off quiet, but soon enough we couldn't bring ourselves to shut up. Natasha was a good friend, a little snippy sometimes, but, a little trait like that doesn't ruin a great friendship.

"Wait, wait, stop, I can't, I can't breathe," I choked out through laughs. I felt tears brimming my eyes as my lungs began to ache from lack of oxygen.

Natasha had been telling me stories about the pranks Clint, Tony and Thor would pull on Steve and Bruce. I lost it when she told me about the time that they hung all of Steve and Bruce's boxers on the flag pole outside.

"And what about the pair they had on?"

"We waited until they each took their showers."

"That's perfect, I wish was here for that one." I sighed, wiping one of the tears from my cheeks.

"Does Steve still wear boxers with American flags on them?" Nat piped up.

I hesitated before responding, "Yes."

She snickered, "I swear, if he wasn't married to you then he'd still be a virgin."

"I'm not denying it." I chuckled. "I love him, but, no matter how hard I try I always see little scrawny Steve underneath."

"How do you know what he used to look like?"

"I've seen many pictures, Peggy showed me thousands when I visited her."

"You visited Steve's old love of his life? Isn't that a little bit awkward?"

"Not really, after Steve was claimed dead she went on with her life. Got married and had kids. Not that they still don't love each other, but, she's tipping the scales. She's probably only got a few more years left, if that."

"Steve is technically the same age as her, you know."

"Yes, but you get my point."

It was silent for a moment before Natasha broke it. "Did you ever talk to Steve about kids?"

"Yes, I did, little miss nosey."

"I was just curious, geesh."

"In this line of life, if kids were to come along, then it would be a wonderful surprise. Kids aren't something you can just necessarily plan."

"So that's what you two are going with?"

"Yes. If we're blessed with kids then we'll raise them. If we're not, then we'll continue on living. There's really no other way to look at it."

Nat nodded gently in response.

"I honestly feel like, any of the male avengers would make great dads. Bruce has a little bit of a different story of course, but, don't we all?"

"I suppose we do," she paused. "But, Thor as a dad? Yikes."

"He would be a good dad, he would just have to be gentle, which is nearly impossible..." I trailed off.

"You're dragging this out."

"I know." I sighed.

"And Tony?"

"He actually seems really good with kids. Just because he's a little stuck up and reckless with us doesn't mean he'd be like that around children."

"We're talking about the same Tony, right?"

I chuckled. "I don't know. Maybe."

Suddenly an alert on the jet's dashboard started to beep, and Nat got up to go check it. She's set the plane to fly on auto-pilot, so Natasha and I were alone in a small quinjet minus our bags and weapons.

"What's wrong?" I called up to Nat as she started to fiddle with buttons.

"It's nothing, just a stupid weather alert but we'll be fine."

I heard thunder roll in the distance of the sky, and I knew who it had to be.

"It's probably just Thor popping in for a visit."

"It looks like we left just in time then."

"Aw come on, Thor's not that bad."

"He's a huge meat head with no sense of strength. Only destruction."

"And you wonder why you don't have any friends..." I muttered.

"I don't have the time for friends." She said coldly.

"Fair enough." I replied. "How long until we're at Clint's place?"

"A few more hours, nothing major. We've gotten the worst part of the trip over with."

* * *

Once we landed at Clint's house, his kids came running out first and Clint wasn't far behind.

"Auntie Natasha!" The two oldest boys cried, running up to Nat and hugging her legs tightly.

"Hey boys! Have you been bothering your father like I asked you to?" She muttered, leaning down to be closer to their height.

"Oh yeah! I put a red sock in the washing machine the other day and turned all of his white clothes pink!"

"Even his underwear!"

Both of the boys began laughing and Natasha messed up their hair like a proud older sister would.

"Hey strangers! What are you doing here?" Clint called, walking up to us.

"I thought we were invited," I chuckled, giving him a hug.

"Where you?"

"Was I?" I grinned.

"Oh cool it Barton your sarcasm gets worse every time I see you." Nat said, also sharing a quick hug with Clint.

"Nice to see you too, partner in crime. Did you make her grumpy on the way over here?" Clint asked.

"Well..."

"She started making out with Steve right in front of me before we left, though." Nat piped up.

"It was not making out!" I called back.

"Speaking of the old man, how did the present work?"

"I didn't even try it on!"

He looked at me, then at Natasha. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later." She mouthed so the kids wouldn't hear.

"Let's start getting your things inside before it gets dark. And Laura is making your favorite for dinner, Nat."

"I'm afraid to ask." I muttered to myself, walking back up into the jet to grab my bags.

* * *

Once all of Nat and I's things were inside, we took them to our rooms for the weekend. Mine was across the hall from hers, and was only a small guest room, but I loved the home-like feel that Clint's house had. It surprised me still that someone like him was able to settle down like this after all he's done for the world.

I went downstairs then to meet Laura, Clint's wife.

"Hi, it's so nice to finally meet you." She said, warming and inviting as she hugged me. "I've heard so much about you from these two."

"Good or bad?" I chuckled.

"Good. Great, as a matter of fact. The others...not so much."

"That doesn't surprise me at all."

Suddenly the two oldest boys came running by, one clinging to my left leg to hide from his brother who had been chasing him all over the house.

"And who are these two jumping beans?" I asked.

"The one on your leg is Callum, and the other is Lewis." She paused, only for a baby's crying to erupt in the background. "And that is baby Nicole."

"I've got her," Clint called from the kitchen, darting off to attend to his child.

"Well make yourself at home, I have to finish dinner."

"Thank you," I smiled politely.

"No problem." She smiled back.

"What's your name?" Callum asked, looking up at my towering figure.

"My name's Alex." I grinned.

"Isn't that a boy's name?" Lewis piped up.

"My full name is Alexis, but I go by Alex instead."

"That's like how I call Lewis Louie sometimes!"

"Yeah! And do you know what that's called?" I asked, squatting down to match their height.

"A nickel?" Lewis asked.

"Close, but a nickname. You had the start of it."

"Is it called a nickname if I call Callum a turd?"

"Hey!" Callum called.

"Yes, but that's a bad kind of nickname."

"Hey Callum! Catch me if you can you big turd!"

"Get back here you little crap head!"

Callum and Lewis then resumed their considerably lethal game of tag, and darted away through the house.

"They're already warming up to you." Nat said, walking up to me.

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"I think you're good with kids. You'd make a great mom."

"Thanks, I guess it's just matter of if I ever have my own."

"Heads up, baby on board." Clint said, walking in holding baby Nicole.

She looked up at me with her big blue eyes and little wisps of blonde hair resting atop her newborn head.

"She's so precious," I said, holding out my hand in which she wrapped all of her little tiny fingers around my one index finger.

"Hey baby girl," I grinned, causing her to smile.

"Do you want to hold her?" Clint asked.

"I'd love to." I smiled.

He handed her to me, and I clutched the warm bundle of life in my arms.

"Hi baby," I said softly, and she turned her head up. Her bright blue eyes pierced my violet ones. I walked and gently rocked her, whispering little things and making her laugh. Clint was watching from the doorway, a warm grin on his face.

"You'd make a pretty great mom, Alex." He said.

"Oh, thanks." I sighed. Why did everyone keep saying that?

"Have you and Steve considered having kids?"

"Yeah, but, in this line of life it's just so difficult. You're lucky to have an escape."

He nodded. "I understand, it's a big risk. Whenever I was out in battle that's all I could think of. My wife and kids, my family...making it home again."

I looked down at little Nicole, who was teething on some of her fingers.

"How did you decide?"

"My wife and I talked, and, we both really wanted kids. I knew that I'd have to weave my way out of the whole avenging the world thing at some point if I did have children, but it's worth it. We saved lots of people as a team, and everyone's gotta settle down at some point in their life."

I nodded, understanding what he was saying and also upset that he was basically saying a farewell to working with the team.

"I don't know if I like all of this change..." I blurted out. "I mean, I get it, time goes on, things change, but, it's just surprising that all the years I've spent with you and the others are slowly turning into distant memories already. Where did the time go?"

"Time flies when you're having a good time, as they say."

"Amen, brother." I said.

"But don't look at change as a bad thing. Be bold, be ready for it. If we kept doing the same thing for ever and ever, we'd be sick of it. It's better to have good times to look back at than a constant drag of the same thing for what feels like forever."

"No, no, I totally understand, it's just, different, I guess. I love Wanda, and I loved Pietro, the temporary base isn't the best of my friends but I'll make it work."

"That's the spirit."

Nicole started to get restless in my arms, and I handed her over to Clint who kicked into immediate dad-mode, making me grin.

He talked to her with so much love in his voice, and the smile never left his lips.

"What's it like, to be a dad?"

"I think it's amazing. I mean, everything has it's ups and downs but, being a parent is...incredible."

I gave him a small smile.

"I'll never forget when my Laura told me she was pregnant with out first child. At first, you're unsure of yourself. Will I be a good parent? What if they don't like me? Will I make the same mistakes my parents made? But, after you hold them for the first time, all of that washes away and you feel pride for the little gift of life you're holding in your hands. And the only thing you want to do is keep them safe."

There was a pause.

"I think you'd be a wonderful mother, Alex. And I really mean it."

"Thanks." I sighed.

There was soft knock on the doorway, and we both looked up to see Laura standing there. "Dinner's ready, if you want some that is."

"That's a silly question, honey." Clint said lovingly, walking over to her. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and they gave each other a loving look.

It made me miss my spouse.

"I'll be in a minute, you guys can go ahead and start." I said, rising from the couch.

"Oh, are you sure? We can wait...is something wrong?" Laura asked kindly.

"No, I'm just going to make a quick call to my husband, I forgot to call him when we got in."

"Oh, alright. Just let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, again. You're just too kind."

She smiled before returning to the kitchen and I walked to the other room. I whipped out my phone and dialed Steve's number as quick as could, worrying about him pacing around the apartment worrying about me. Nat and I had been at Clint's for over an hour by now, and I'd completely forgotten to call Steve and let him know we'd arrived safely.

The phone rang only one and a half times before Steve's answered. "Hello?"

"Hi hon!"

"Alex? Is everything okay?"

"Yes everything's great!" I chuckled.

"I was getting worried..." He began.

"Nat and I are fine, we've just been busy ever since we got here. I'm sorry I didn't call sooner."

"It's fine!" He said quickly. Steve was cute when he was all apologetic, even over the phone.

"So how are things back at the fort?" I asked.

"Uh, good I suppose. Piper's here-"

"Hi Alex!" Piper shouted into the phone.

"Hey, Piper," I said, pulling the phone away from ringing ear.

"How was your flight?" She asked.

"It was good! Smooth landing."

"That's great! Steve and I are going through all of your old textbooks to see if-"

Steve stole the phone back, "So how's Clint's place, is everything good there?"

"Steve, why are you two going through my old books?"

He sighed before speaking, "I think you know why."

"Please don't be worrying about me. I'll be home in a couple of days, and we can look at stuff then."

"And please don't be worrying about us, either. Aren't you supposed to be on vacation?"

"Steve..."

"Alex, I love talking to you, but didn't you say that your dinner was ready?"

"Okay, fine. Just, please don't hurt yourselves." I sighed in defeat.

"We won't. I love you."

"Love you too, I'll talk to you soon."

* * *

Later that night, I was restless in bed.

I kept tossing and turning, fluffing my pillow, ruffling the sheets, but I was still wide awake.

The conversation Clint and I had earlier was still soaring in my head.

It made me think about my future. So much had changed in only about a decade to now. I went from living alone in an old beaten down apartment, barely able to afford it, at the bottom of the food chain as they say. And now, I'm married to one of the nation's greatest heroes (which was something I'd cry myself to sleep about, thinking marriage would never come up in my life), in the center of a loving family known as the Avengers to most, and had saved the world.

And all of it happened in the blink of an eye.

Where would I be at next?

There are two possible ways to go.

Sink back down the bottom,

or rise up and keep my head above the water.

* * *

_The war had begun._

_Ultron walked the planet with two feet and dark red eyes. Red eyes that stared into the soul._

_Red eyes, just like mine that morning in the mirror._

_Red like flames,_ _scorching life into ashes that fly loose in the wind._

_Red like a rose, appearing soft and gentle, but wielding thorns, used to tear the skin and draw blood._

_Red like blood, the crimson fluid keeping me alive._

_Red like the sky when the sun meets the Earth and the dawn and end of each day._

_Red like my eyes, pain hiding behind tears of glass and innocent smiles._

* * *

I awoke the next morning with a full sheen of sweat coating my pale skin.

The only thing I saw the entire night was the same thing I'd seen in the mirror that morning.

My red eyes.

I still hadn't told anyone about them yet.

But then again, they hadn't appeared again.

Only in my dreams.

* * *

Later that day, Clint was outside tending to his animals (mostly his chickens) and Nat was helping Laura in the kitchen. I felt so awkward and useless, because I wasn't quite sure what to do. I wasn't necessarily in the mood for messing with animals, and I wasn't a big cook either. Baby Nicole was sleeping; Callum and Lewis were off doing something somewhere.

I'd walk up and down the main stairs almost a million times. I would go upstairs, check my phone, then head back down. About five minutes later, I'd walk straight up the stairs again. I mean, it was great getting to visit, but, I never imagined it would turn out to be this boring.

As I was about to make my next trip back upstairs, Callum came running through the hall and clutched his small body to my leg. He was panting heavily, and he looked up at me with fear filled eyes.

"What's wrong, little buddy?"

"I, I was outside, gonna go see daddy but, there was a bee."

"A bee?!" I asked, acting like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Yeah! I hate them!" He replied.

I squatted down to his level as he unraveled his limbs from leg, and looked him in the eyes.

"I don't like bees either," I began.

"Why do you hate them? I hate them because one time, I was helping dad and one stung my arm."

"Ouch! Well, one never stung me, but I hate them because of their stingers. I'm so scared one is going to attack me that I always run away!"

"Me too! Mommy says to just step on them, but what if I don't kill it and it stings me!"

"I've heard the best thing to do is stand still, and pretend to be a statue."

"Really?"

"Yeah, c'mere, it's a little secret my friend told me,"

He leaned in a little closer, and I whispered, "bees can't see you when you're not moving. They'll just fly right by you. I promise."

"Whoa! That's so cool! I'm gonna go try it!"

"Be careful!" I called after him as he ran back outside.

He darted right past Nat, who was coming my way when he decided to bolt off again.

"I don't think I've ever seen you that enthusiastic..."

I dropped my shoulders, rolling my eyes and exhaling. "I was going it for him. You can't just be blunt with these little kids."

"I know, I know." She grinned. "I guess I just never saw how well you were with them."

"Yeah, me either."

* * *

The weekend seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, I was back in the jet with Natasha.

It didn't sink into my head that I missed Clint's sass and sarcasm until after we'd left. The constant bad jokes on missions, and when he would fight with Thor over food. I missed the rascal.

I missed the team.

I missed the Avengers that saved New York City from the Chitauri...even though I hadn't joined them yet.

* * *

Back at the base, Steve was impatiently waiting for us when the jet arrived.

When he opened the apartment door for me, I only saw Piper surrounded by textbooks and papers when I walked in.

Time to go to work.

"Have you guys found out anything yet?" I questioned.

"Not really, nothing pertaining to you yet at least. I mean, there's some old lore about nightmares caused by ghosts or evil spirits, but they pertain to a specific evil spirit or ghost that would be currently haunting the victim." Piper rambled.

"Eh, I highly doubt it's a ghost. That's a little off the walls, Piper."

"And that kills any of my solutions I've thought of for the past couple of days." Piper sighed.

"What mythology origins have you checked?"

"Um, Greek, Roman, a bunch of different random myths and legends..."

"And they've all said the same thing?"

"According to those a ghost would be our only answer."

"A ghost just doesn't make any sense though."

"What about Norse?" I asked.

"Do you really think this has anything to do with Thor?"

"Not Thor, Piper. Norse mythology is huge, it could have anything related to our, my, problem in it."

"Go nuts. I'm not huge on the whole viking age anyways."

"Well, I happen to enjoy Norse. It's actually quite interesting."

"Alex, stop it you sound like you went to Harvard or something."

"Nope, I'm just a geek." I grinned, pulling out a Norse book and flipping the pages.

* * *

After hours of nothing but Steve, Piper and I flipping through old books, we still hadn't found an answer.

"Maybe we're looking too deep into this," I sighed.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"I don't know, maybe I am just going crazy. Maybe I do have Parkinson's disease or I'm suffering from diamensia. It's possible."

"Alex, there's no way. The doctor even told me, he's only making an educated guess, there's no true physical proof behind his reasoning."

"After almost thirteen hours of doing nothing between reading books between the three of us and there's still no answer. Steve, his guess seems most logical at this point in time."

"No, I'm not letting you quit. Even if it's on yourself. We're finding and answer, Alex. I'm not going to let you suffer like this."

"I don't want this, trust me, I've been craving a good night's sleep even since all of this started happening, but I don't want everyone devoting their lives to my problem. It's okay, I'll be fine."

"I'm not giving up, on you, on finding an answer, on anything."

"And I'm not saying that I want to quit, I'm just looking at reality."

"Since when has that stopped us?" Piper chimed in.

Steve and I both looked over at her.

"Okay, I'm not very good at pep talking, but, do you two realize how many crazy things we've done together? Our lives are anything but normal! As a matter of fact, here I am, one of the only physically normal people in this building. I'm standing in front of two super humans, physically and mentally. We've left reality behind, and it can eat our dust."

* * *

The next day, Piper came over first thing in the morning and we continued our researching.

I picked out another Norse book to read through, and about a third of the way through it, a term crossed my eyes that made my body freeze.

I'd seen it before...I recognized it, even though I didn't have the slightest clue where I was recalling it from.

** _Seidr_ **

_...a form of magic in Norse Mythology concerned with discerning and alternating the course of destiny by re-weaving part of destiny's web. **Seidr**  was possibly the most powerful form of magic in Norse history, and was the only form of magic that could change someone's destiny._

"But what would a destiny changing magic have to do with me?" I muttered to myself.

"What was that, Alex?" Piper asked.

"Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud..." I muttered, my eyes remaining glued to the five letter word on the old paper.

"Alex...did you find something?" She asked.

"Maybe..." I practically whispered.

"What is it?!" She screeched, running over to me. Steve wasn't far behind.

"See-dur?" Piper asked.

"Seidr, Piper, it's old Norse magic."

"What does that have to do with your nightmares?"

"I don't know...but, this word, it's making my bones rattle. I've seen it before, or heard it at least. I know this word, but, I don't at the same time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Source Notes:
> 
> According to the Marvel website Clint has three kids, two boys names Callum and Lewis and also baby Nicole, who is named after her godfather (Nick Fury). I couldn't remember how Clint's kids were portrayed in Age of Ultron so I just looked it up from the main source instead.
> 
> The research I did about Seidr was found on a website called Norse Mythology for Smart People. ((I would post the URL here but every time I do it disappears.)) The page was titled Seidr, and there was no author or published listed. Some references were listed under the article on the web page. All credit goes to whoever wrote that article!


	6. Curiosity Can Kill the Wounded

The term _Seidr_  continued to plaque my mind all through the evening.

I kept staring at the pages, feeling the connection without actually being able to connect it.

I had read almost 20 pages about Seidr so far, and the only new thing I'd been informed of was Norns.

I'd learned about 3 main things:

1\. Norns are considered the foremost masters of Seidr, and the term was Norse for witch.

2\. Seidr was a form of magic used to change destiny's web.

3\. Seidr rituals were conducted 'for divination and clairvoyance, for seeking out the hidden. Both in the secrets of and in physical locations, for healing the sick, for bringing good luck, controlling the weather, and for calling game animals and fish.' It would also be used for the bad. Cursing someone or something, to cause illness and despair, to tell false futures and send people winding into madness and despair, and to injure, maim, and slaughter.

And I still how no idea how this related to my problem, but I could just  _feel_  it.

My eyes continued scanning the page for new information until they landed on two names I'd heard once too many times before.

" _Two of the Aesir and Vanir deities are noted masters of Seidr: the goddess Freya and the god Odin._"

Frigga and Odin? Thor's parents? This was going to be fun.

"How's researching going?" Steve asked as he walked by me for what seemed like the hundredth time. He'd been picking up the books that Piper basically bailed on helping put away and I'd been reading quietly to myself.

"I don't know," I groaned, "this is all too weird! I have no idea how any of this is related to me and my freakish nightmares!"

"Are you sure it even is?"

"Yes, I am. I don't get feelings like this just because. Something is up with this old Norse junk and his has something to do with me. I just have to figure out what."

"Don't you want some rest?"

"You don't believe me, do you?" I sighed, holding my head in my hands.

"Of course I believe you, hon." Steve said, sitting down next to me and wrapping his arm around my back, pulling me into a cuddle. "I'm just worried about you. You've spent the past two days doing nothing but reading old textbooks."

"Because I need to find an answer before things get worse..." I groaned, leaning into his embrace for more comfort.

"What's this 'I' talk? Piper and I are helping you."

"I know, just sometimes it feels like it's me against the world and I get so stressed...even when I know I'm not alone."

Steve exhaled, kissing my head softly. "You worry too much." He muttered. "And I'll always be right here by your side. I promise."

"I believe you, and I'm beyond thankful that you're by my side. I'm sorry if I'm being a nuisance." I sighed.

"You're not being a nuisance, Alex..." Steve breathed, sounding hurt.

"Sometimes I can't help but feel that way. Every single time that there's some crazy mystery or adventure it's because I'm in danger again."

"And that's okay. It's not your fault, it's not anybody's fault."

"I know, I know." I felt a yawn overtake my being, and covered my mouth as it did.

"I think it's time for bed, book worm."

"But I need to keep reading..." I muttered as Steve picked up me up in his arms. "I have to figure out what this has to do with Thor..."

"Shh, just get some rest."

Steve put me in bed and pulled the covers up over me. After my body had notably relaxed into the mattress Steve began picking up the mess of books that scattered the floor.

He made sure he marked every page that had been left open with a sticky note or something so his wife's work wouldn't be put to waste.

* * *

_The battle against Ultron had officially began, and everything seemed to be falling apart at the seams._

_I'd learned that the guy and girl we'd crossed paths with inside the enemy base in the snowy woods were known as The Maximoff twins, Wanda and Pietro, The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Magento's kids, and half-brother/sister of Polaris. These two were trouble._

_"He's fast, and she's weird." As Agent Hill would say._

_The team and I were riding in a jet on our way two hunt down the duo along with a walking and talking Ultron, and I wasn't exactly eager to see them again. I was struggling to keep my eyes open from lack of sleep. My eyelids were felt like they weighed a ton, constantly trying to shut my eyes to darkness yet fluttering back open. Dark circles had formed underneath my eyes on the pale skin of my face. I looked like I'd been risen from the dead to walk the Earth again. My finger tips were practically numb from remaining cold almost 24/7, and my stomach was twisted into tight knots from turbulence._

_I was miserable._

_"Hey, you okay Mrs. Frankenstein?" Clint asked, plopping down next to me._

_I shrugged my shoulders, keeping my gaze in front of me._

_"That's not your okay face." He said._

_"I know." I breathed, almost a whisper._

_"Are you motion sick or something? Do you want something to eat?" I heard true concern in his voice, and I knew that he wasn't just playing a joke. Even though asking if someone was motion sick and offering food were almost complete opposites, he was worried. And I couldn't blame him._

_"No, I'm fine."_

_"Barton." Nat said, stern and cold. He looked over towards her, and out of the corner of my eye I saw her motion telling him to leave me alone._

_He patted my shoulder gently, afraid he might break me, and said, "Take it easy, kiddo."_

_I nodded a gentle 'yes' instead of responding verbally, because I didn't have the strength to._

_Then I was left alone with myself again. Tony and Steve were having a gentle argument in the pilot's coop (as I called it). Their relationship worried me sometimes. One minute, they'd be okay, and the next, they'd be fighting non-stop. Their arguments showed me a side of Steve I'd rarely ever seen in him. An angry, purely enraged side of him that came with a wild look in his eye._

_And that scared me._

_"Girls, girls!" Clint called at them. "Save the chick fights for later, we've got a mission to complete."_

_Steve and Tony exchanged hateful glares before Steve came back over towards me._

_"What were you fighting about?" I questioned innocently, sounding like a confused five year old girl._

_"We weren't fighting, hon, we were just having a discussion."_

_"A heated discussion, so fighting."_

_"Fighting is throwing fists or objects at each other." Steve replied._

_"But that's physical fighting. You guys were having an intense verbal discussion with hateful looks in your eyes. So verbal fighting. It probably wouldn't gotten worse if Clint hadn't stopped you."_

_Steve sighed in defeat. I was completely right, and he knew it._

_"We were discussing Ultron," he said, lowering his voice so the others couldn't hear._

_"And?"_

_"Come with me." He muttered, grasping my arm gently and pulling me into another room on the jet._

_"And...it kind of got heated when I said it was his fault." Steve continued._

_"Steve, you know it's not entirely his fault. He was just trying to help people, and it went hay-wire."_

_"But people don't need help from crazy robots or machines, he should've just left it alone and everything would be fine. We wouldn't be on this plane right now, we'd be at Stark Tower sleeping in or taking a little break for once."_

_"Steve..." I began, but he kept ranting._

_"And I hate to blame people for things. I really do. But I can't help it with him. He has to be the best, he's always trying to exceed everyone else to stay at the top. And his methods are so reckless. We've put cities in debt because of his genius ideas to blow things up or do who knows what else to stop enemy that could've been stopped a much easier way."_

_"Steve,"_

_"He has no plan of action. He only attacks before he thinks and look where that's gotten us."_

_"Steve!" I said with more force. He immediately stopped, and his big blue eyes looked right at me._

_"Yes?"_

_"Do you hear yourself? Honey, you've been ranting for what feels like five minutes about all this nonsense. Why do you let Tony get to you like that?"_

_"I don't know." He sighed, drooping his head in defeat._

_"I have people that push my buttons too, and I hate it. But for the sake of the team, you both need to stay off of each other's nerves."_

_"But he..."_

_"I'm not blaming you, Steve. And I'm not blaming Tony either. You're my husband, and I love you more than anyone else. But I love Tony too, because he's family. We're all a family. And yes, families fight. That's normal. But you two practically own the family. You're both the leaders, and we take orders from you. We don't need the leaders tearing up our family. It hurts me to see you two fight, and it bothers everybody else. And believe me, I know how hard it is to not want to strangle him sometimes, but please, I'm begging you. This family is the best thing I've ever had and I don't want it torn apart because two of the seven couldn't get along."_

_"I understand, honey. I'm sorry..." He trailed off._

_"It's not your fault, it's nobody's fault. We just need to put out the fire rather then fuel it."_

_He nodded softly, and I wrapped my arms around him in a warm hug._

* * *

I awoke the next morning to soothed muscles and a sight blush on my cheeks. My hair was a tangled and knotted mess, but I felt refreshed.

Steve woke up when he felt me move around in bed, and his attention was immediately on me.

"Morning, honey." He said, turning to face me.

"Good morning." I hummed, smiling.

"How did you sleep?"

"Good, I, I had another re-watch of life."

"What was it this time?"

"That one time we all rode on the jet after Ultron had taken over."

"That time you asked me to stop fighting with Tony?"

"Yeah," I trailed off.

"No crazy ending to it though, right?"

"Nope. It's weird, sometimes I'm just re-watching life and sometimes the re-watches will end badly. And other times I'll have these weird visions, like nightmares. Like, the man on the throne..."

"Wait, wait? Man on the throne? Alex you never mentioned that."

"Haha, woops." I said.

"When did this happen?"

"Back when I was in the medical ward, it was this awful vision of this purple man...he wasn't human, though. He was wearing golden armor, and, he had a piece for his hand that had gems on it...and then I saw a flash of the Vision, and the gem on his head...it was weird. It's all a little fuzzy now. It didn't last long, but it sure was freaky."

"That is weird. I'll look into it, if you want."

"No, please. Let's just keep this between us, for now." I pleaded. "I don't want everyone knowing whats going on in my head."

"Okay, that's fine." He said comfortingly.

I then remembered that morning when my eyes flashed red, and I suddenly felt the urgency to tell him.

"Alex, is there something else?"

"Hm?"

"Did something else happen?"

I looked down, deciding if I should tell him or not.

"Als, you can tell me anything, you know that."

"I know, Steve. And I trust you with all my life, it's just that I'm scared to tell you."

"Why?"

"I don't want to freak you out."

"Alex, nothing about you can freak me out."

I sighed, before giving in and carrying on.

"One morning, after I woke up...back before everything happened with the medical ward, and, my irises, they were..."

"Red?"

"How did you know about that?" I asked, frantically.

"That night, I did have to rush to the medical ward, you were kicking and screaming. And, your blood vessels were glowing bright red under your skin, the same with your eyes. I thought I was going to lose you, Alex..."

"Steve," I breathed, "All that's behind us. For now."

"Right. For now." He sighed, kissing my forehead. He pulled away and looked at me with his soft blue eyes, and a small grin on his lips. That was one of my favorite expressions of his, it simply said, 'Everything's going to be okay'.

* * *

Later that morning, I went straight back to looking at textbooks.

After discovering that there really wasn't much else to read about Seidr out of my textbooks, I knew it was time to move on to other sources.

Steve had a day off from training, and I couldn't make up my mind if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

He helped read some of the books for a while, and I had to laugh when I looked to see him lost in a textbook with his old eyeglasses on.

"What?" He chuckled.

"Nothing, old man." I smirked lovingly.

He blushed, taking his glasses off.

"Aw, Steve no! I wasn't laughing at you! I thought you looked cute."

"Yeah, old."

"For 97, consider yourself lucky."

He smiled warmly back at me, and I returned the problem of the present.

I needed more sources.

But where was there to look?

"Hey, I think we're getting about all we're going to get out of these books." I sighed.

"Okay, so what are you getting at exactly?" Steve asked.

"We need more sources."

"Getting tired of books?"

"That, and honestly we've read these things twice through each by now. It's not like something new is going to pop up."

He nodded in agreement. "But, where, or who do we go to?"

"I don't know...that's where I'm stuck. This whole Seidr thing has something to do with me. I can just,  _feel it_." I said, pacing back and forth while holding my chin with my hand.

"Where's your gut telling us to go?"

"It won't talk, that's why I'm frustrated."

"Well, take a few steps back. Where would we need to look? What would have the answers we need?"

Suddenly, I felt myself go into a gaze. My eyes began to black out, and I saw something. No, someone.

A man, and a woman.

The woman said something, and I immediately recognized her voice.

My mom.

"Mom?" I felt my lips mutter. Steve's arms were holding onto my forearms, and he continuously was saying my name as he sat me down on the bed. I could still feel everything, but my head was spinning in another universe. "Lucy?" I mumbled, my hands resting upon my forehead.

_"What do you mean you're leaving?" The man boomed._

_"I'm leaving. What part of that don't you understand?"_

_"Why?! Your abilities have done so much for science already, we can change the world!"_

_"I don't want to change the world. Not like this."_

_"We're a team, Lucy! And where would you go? What would you do without me?!" The man boomed._

_"It's none of your business!" She shouted back. "You treat me as nothing but a lab rat and I'm done with you! The only thing you use my power for is your own greed and hunger to destroy those who have wronged you. You're nothing but a villain, Dexter!"_

_"Are you going to go back with Howard?" He muttered quietly, teeth clenched._

_Lucy froze, looking up slightly with a tightened jaw. "Yes."_

_"Oh my word! You double crossing, no good b-"_

_"Don't you dare say it! I will no longer be degraded by you. Goodbye and farewell."_

_Lucy stormed for the door, slamming it behind her._

_Dexter swung his fist over the table, shattering dozens of beakers and glassware all across the floor, appearing much like cracked and distressed diamonds upon the walls of an abandoned cave._

Suddenly my vision returned, and I looked to Steve with a light headed and dizzy feeling.

"Alex?" He breathed.

"I know where to look." I answered, regaining my consciousness.

"Where?" Steve asked, concerned.

"Stark."

Steve gave me a look.

"My mom, she left Dexter and went back to work with Howard." I panted, jumping up and grabbing my notepad, beginning to scribble down as much as I could remember from the vision.

"How do you know?"

"Because I just saw it, Steve. I saw everything."

"You weren't even born when that happened, Alex."

"I know, but this is the only source I've got right now. We have to trust it at least a little bit. We're going to have to some digging, figure out exactly what Howard and my mother worked on together."

"What about Tony?"

"I'm not bringing this up with him, not until I have more proof."

After jotting down everything I could remember, I exhaled a huge sigh I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"Okay, now, I'm going to go look through the files at this base to see what I can find. If I'm lucky, some of the files I need might be here."

"Alex, don't go getting yourself into trouble."

"Isn't that my job?" I remarked.

"Yes, but still. And besides, lots of files were lost when HYDRA took over..." Steve trailed off.

"Oh I know, but my mother was smart. I know there's files out there with her and Howard's names on them from whatever the heck they worked on together, and I'm going to find them."

"Wait," Steve muttered, grabbing my arm and swinging me back into his grasp. He leaned down and put his lips to mine, and I couldn't help but smile. "Be safe."

"I will, I promise." I whispered, pecking his lips one last time before I left.

* * *

I walked rather hurriedly down the hall, passing a staff member every now and then. I kept a straight face and clenched jaw, with a focused mind.

I meant business.

I eventually reached the only file room on base, which wasn't very large considering practically all of the files were lost.

A staff member went buzzing by me, and I saw his key card dangling from his waist. I waited until he was past, and stood patiently until I heard the clicking of boots coming from around the corner.

"Mrs. Rogers." She nodded.

"Miss Jones." I responded.

As her person passed mine, I quickly whipped my now invisible arm out and swiped her key card from her belt. She continued on her marry way, not giving the slightest note that she'd just been pick-pocketed.

"Always comes in handy." I sighed under my breath, sliding the card through its dock.

The hatches on the door released, green lights illuminating from their cracks. I quickly slipped behind the door and tucked the key card safely in my pocket.

The room was dark, and a cold draft brought goosebumps to life on my skin.

I stealthily made my way down to narrow isle, that led straight to a more opened room, with file drawers reaching all the way to the ceiling. A balcony was about mid level, with a ladder for access. I let out a soft and short breath, already feeling exhaustion from a job I hadn't even started. The room was small, with only around a 100 file drawers if that at all. This was small compared to what SHIELD used to have.

I began by checking the alphabetical file drawers, beginning with C.

Cooper.

Nothing.

H, for Hines. Dexter's last name.

Nothing. I climbed the ladder to the balcony to continue my search.

S, for Stark.

Howard Stark.

Finally, something.

Exactly one file.

**_Stark, Howard_ **

_Date of Birth: 15 August, 1917_

_Place of Birth: Richford, NY_

_Time of Birth: N/A_

_Date of Death: 17 December, 1991_

_Time of Death: N/A_

_Cause of Death: Car Accident (See: #1482)_

_Occupation: Inventor, Businessman, Scientist_

_##: #1482, #1971, #1125_

_Relations:_

_Anthony Edward Stark (son)_

_Maria Carbonell-Stark (wife)_

I flipped the page over, revealing nothing but a blank canvas never pierced by ink.

"No!" I muttered. "There has to be more!"

I looked down to see one other paper sticking out of the file folder, and I gently pulled it from its confines.

It was a journal entry.

_Entry #1_

_April 14th, 1980_

_"I turn to spilling my thoughts on these pages since now I am one with my own mind. My only friend has turned on me for another and I have no other company but myself. She has left me for another man, and not that I am one to cling tightly to a woman for more than one night, but this one is special to me. She's wildly intelligent, and fascinates me with her knowledge. I just wish she'd return...I cannot conceive the reason why she left. I created her, I gave her amazing abilities, and yet she leaves me. I seek help from another to complete my task. If another will not come to me then I must seek for help from different sources. Scientists do not rest until the job is done. And currently, my goal is on the horizon. I can see it, but yet I cannot reach it."_

"Task? What task?" I muttered.

Suddenly my ears perked up. Someone was fooling with the door to get in the room. I gasped softly, quickly shoving the papers back in the folder and tucking it safely under my arm. I then shut the file drawer and faded out into thin air, the file disappearing with me.  _That's a new one,_ I thought.

The door slid open to reveal the agent I stole the key card from and another one with her.

"She was standing right by this door. I noticed my card was gone after seeing her." Jones said.

"Well, there's nobody in here." The other former agent muttered.

"But she can turn herself invisible!"

"Yes, but your card wouldn't be. And I don't see any floating cards anywhere."

"I'm checking the balcony."

Jones climbed the ladder, and her angry scowl scanning the area to see nothing out of the ordinary.

"Sometimes I really hate that little..." Jones muttered angrily through clenched teeth as she went back down the latter and left with the other woman.

I remained invisible, and didn't move a muscle for about a solid two minutes just to be safe.

"Wow, she really hates me." I sighed, chuckling slightly afterwards. I snuck out of the room successfully, and dropped the key card on the floor outside of the room. "Sucker." I muttered before walking away.

* * *

The apartment door opened, and Steve shot up from his spot on the bed.

"Hey, calm down, it's just me." I muttered as I regained visibility.

"Oh, don't do that you startled me."

"Scare Captain America, check." I hummed.

Steve rolled his eyes and walked over to me. "I see you found something." He said, pointing to the file.

"Yeah, not much. It's one of Howard's old files, one of his resumes more or less, and some old journal page of his too. At least I'm assuming it's his."

Steve began reading the papers, and I watched him stop when he held the journal page in his hand. His eyebrows furrowed, and then I saw all of his muscles twist a little under his skin.

"Yeah, this is Howard's writing. I recognize it anywhere."

The wave of sorrow emitting from him landed on me, and I felt terrible. Another one of his only friends from his time on earth seventy years ago, another one of them that was dead."

"I'm sorry, Steve." I muttered.

He shook his head. "I remember Howard. He was a lot like Tony, only a little less..."

"Tony?"

"Yeah." He smirked.

"I never would've dreamt that he of all people kept a journal. Do you think there are more pages?"

"There should be. He certainly acted like there was going to be more and this was ripped out of a book." Steve said, rubbing the roughened left edge of the old document gently.

"Do you think he did? Write more pages that is?"

Steve shrugged. "I don't know, maybe?"

"Who do you think he's talking about?"

"My mom. I know he is. He created her, and she left him once. I know that the girl is her. Do you think they had a thing for each other?"

"It's very well possible. He did get around quite a bit, too."

"That's creepy. My mom had a thing with Tony's dad?" I shivered.

"Well what do you think this task is? A job?"

"Probably a project." Steve said flatly.

"Okay, but which one? There's probably hundreds!"

"I don't know, but these might lead us somewhere." Steve said, pointing to the 4-digit numbers on the other file page.

I looked at him questioningly.

"These are case numbers. Filed case numbers like these are for either top secret information or serious tragedies that happened unexpectedly and corrupted the system."

"So, you think one of these cases could give us more answers?"

"Well, I know one of them can."

I looked at him again. He handed the papers back to me and went and got something out of his night stand drawer. A file.

I knew that file anywhere.

Bucky's file.

"Case #1482." Steve muttered.

I opened the file and fought back a couple of tears. I'd never even met the soldier and the story of how it all went down still made me cry.

"Howard and Maria were killed in a car accident caused by the Winter Soldier on December 17th, 1991. So if the first number is the reference with his death information, then I don't know what the other two are."

"I think it's time we reassembled the gang." I grinned, handing him the file again.

"What?"

"Tomorrow. First thing. You, me, and Piper. I think it's time we solved ourselves a little mystery."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOURCE NOTES:
> 
> Again, credit to the unknown author of the article about Seidr (Article Title: Seidr) on the website called Norse Mythology For Smart People.
> 
> I got the information about Howard Stark from Wikipedia (forgive me).
> 
> And I made the case numbers up, I honestly don't recall ever reading anything about those in any Marvel Comics Encyclopedia or Marvel Cinematic Universe website/source but if they are real, credit to whoever thought of those.


	7. A Day in the Life of Piper

The next morning, Piper sat on Steve and I's bed holding Howard's old journal page in awe.

Steve was getting cleaned up in the bathroom while I explained everything to Piper.

"Whoa, it's so old and cool!" She grinned.

"Piper, focus."

"Sorry."

Piper read the page, and looked at me with confused eyes.

"Okay, so, in a nutshell, my mom started off with Howard, and that's were she got her abilities from."

"Right," Piper nodded.

"And then, she left Howard for Dexter."

"Okay,"

"And Dexter basically manipulated my mother to get more information about her special genetics to take over the world, which is what we ended up stopping."

"Mhmm,"

"So then my mom got mad at Dexter, and she went back to Howard again. But he wrote these after she left that the first time. Did you get all of that?"

"Yeah, I think. Your mom was a little, risque, wasn't she?" Piper asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes and let out a breath. "By the looks of it, yes. But that's not my business!"

"Ha-ha, your mom was in love with Howard Stark," Piper cooed.

"Shut it, Pipes." I scolded.

"Okay, anyways, so what does this mean? We have to find more of these journal pages to figure out what actually happened?"

"Yes, hopefully they'll give us a little more information about why all of this is happening."

"But, I don't understand...how did all of this lead to you having these weird visions and flashbacks now, like, 30 years later?"

"I don't know, Piper. But you have to trust me on this. I watched my mother leave Dexter...these visions are weird. But they mean something."

"And Lucy slash Dexter slash Howard ties in with that See-dur how?"

"Seidr! Say it with an accent!" I groaned. "And trust me, if I knew, I wouldn't be trying to figure all of this out."

"But, this means another mystery! We're getting the gang back together!" Piper cheered. "We need an official team name!"

"Piper, this is not an alliance, this is simply piecing together a bunch of junk to end this weird visions."

"But if we're solving a mystery then we need a name!"

"This is not Scooby-Doo!"

"It sort of is! And we can get a van and call it the mystery machine!" Piper squealed.

"Piper, no! Right now, this is like a really bad sitcom that we're stuck in the middle of."

"It's not a sitcom until Steve comes out wearing your robe."

"What?" I scoffed.

The bathroom door opened, and Steve poked his head out of the doorway. "Um, honey, can you get me some pants?"

"Are you...are you wearing my robe?" I asked gently, on the verge of hanging my head in defeat and laughing until I couldn't breathe.

"Maybe..." Steve muttered, ducking behind the door a little.

Piper was already beet red, holding her mouth so she didn't laugh.

I quickly handed Steve his clothes, and he shut the door.

I turned around with my arms crossed, pursing my lips. "Really, Piper, really?"

Piper cleared her throat, and impersonated a man's voice. "Honey, where's my pants?!" She called.

We both burst into laughter and ended up rolling around on the floor crying.

Steve came out of the bathroom, and looked down at Piper and I on the floor.

"Am I interrupting something?"

We began laughing even harder, if that was remotely possible.

It truly was really was like a bad sitcom.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Piper decided to take on the job of trying to find the other two case files, considering she had the easiest access to a computer being a secretary.

Alex finally went to help Steve and Natasha with training again, and Piper was glad. She knew that it would be good for her to try and do something to take all of the stress off of her mind. And Wanda was a good friend. Piper trusted her.

"Morning, ma'am." Piper sighed, saluting her boss before walking into her office. Piper's boss wasn't the happiest of people, and she was sure to express it.

"Don't joke about saluting. It's a disrespect to soldiers." The woman snapped.

"Sorry, ma'am." Piper said, rolling her eyes after she turned away.

Piper sat at her desk and let out a sigh. She knew it wouldn't be long before she had to get up again.

"Piper, I have papers for you to file. Come with me, please."

There it was.

Piper was given dozens of papers to file and hand out. Some where to be shredded, some to be handed out to different employees, and others to be filed in the file room. She then began her excursion throughout the base.

As she was placing different papers around on different desks, she could see the training room through all of the glass walls. Piper saw Alex and Wanda laughing, and even goofing off a little. It made her upset sometimes. She felt excluded from all of the others because she wasn't special. She didn't have any special abilities, she was just your average human. Piper loved Alex, and would never be jealous of her. It's not that she wanted what Alex had, she just wanted to be included. The ex-agents treated her as their paper slave and that's all she felt like at this new base. At Avengers Tower, things were different. Everyone would eat breakfast together, including her, and she had so much more fun there. This new base had been hard on everyone, but Piper felt like a caged animal sometimes.

Piper looked over to see Steve wrap his arms around Alex from behind and kiss her head. She almost "aww'd" out loud. She loved that Steve and Alex had such a loving marriage and relationship, but it brought another thing to her mind. Ever since they'd both gotten involved with all of this top secret stuff, Piper couldn't go shopping after work any more. She couldn't even go boy hunting at diners with Alex because she couldn't leave this stupid base. And almost all of the guys at the base weren't very attractive, unless they were the superhuman ones. But other than the Vision, who probably didn't have romantic programming, they were all taken. Bruce and Natasha were a thing, Steve and Alex, Thor had Jane, Clint was married to Laura, and Tony had Pepper. She couldn't think of anyone else. Piper felt hopeless, she used to have a loving boyfriend back when the whole SHIELD mess happened, but when everything began to unwind...he left. It took her a while to get over it, but eventually she accepted the fact that if he actually cared that much, he would've stayed. No matter what crazy stuff happened.

As Piper was staring off into space, day dreaming, someone came into her line of sight that she'd forgotten about.

Sam Wilson.

She studied his moves as he punched and full on attacked a dummy in the training room, and found herself fascinated by the way his muscles rolled under his skin. Every move, swing of his fist or leg, even his jet pack was attractive.

"Hmm, Piper Wilson...I like it." She sighed, smiling.

Once all of the papers were finally out of her hands, she went back to receive the same job over again.

"And try and be snappy about it, I saw you day dreaming over there."

"Yes, ma'am." Piper muttered lowly.

* * *

Eventually, after what felt like years, Piper watched all of the secretaries and office workers leave for their lunch break. Even her boss.

"It's your time to shine." Piper muttered to herself, a grin appearing upon her face. She made her way to the main desk with ease. And the two head computers couldn't be any easier to get to.

"Now, just time to hack these little guys and figure out where those cases are."

Piper began her hack by overriding some security setups, and finally got to the point where she could search for anything, anyone, and everything SHIELD or HYDRA agents had ever entered into the computer system.

Muttering small words to herself, she quickly typed in the first case that needed to be found.

#1971.

1 result found.

File Name: #1971

Date Modified: 4/5/2012 06:38AM

File Type: Word Document

Size: 492 KB

Document:

_38.9047, 77.0164_

_801012973_

"You've got to be bloody kidding me! Some numbers?!" Piper shouted. She cursed under her breath, popping her head up over the desk to the relief of no other people.

"Mysteries are supposed to be fun, of course ours isn't." She muttered, whipping out her phone and taking a photo of the numbers on the screen. Piper scrolled up and down the document to find no other information.

She continued to mutter to herself as she quickly took more photos of the file's main information before closing out everything and clearing the history. She checked the for the other case number, but it got no search results.

"Great, now I have to figure out what those mean." She breathed as she went to go take her own lunch break.

* * *

Later that evening, Piper's shift had ended, and she was sitting in her room, trying to figure out what the numbers meant on the document.

She kept repeating them to herself over and over, and nothing made any sense.

Just then, there was a knock on her door. "Come in!"

"Hey," Alex said.

"Hi, I've found something!" Piper cheered.

"No way!" Alex replied.

Alex plopped down on the bed next to Piper and Piper began explaining everything.

"So, we have three sets of numbers. Two separated by a comma and another by itself. The first two might be coordinates, but the second set could be anything really."

"Okay, coordinates to where?"

"Well, let's find out." Alex sighed. She got up and grabbed her phone, typing in the first two numbers.

Alex typed in the numbers, and a location was found.

"Hey! It found something!" Piper cheered.

"Yeah, near south Mongolia."

"That can't be right. SHIELD didn't have a base over there...right?"

"It wouldn't shock me..." Alex muttered.

"Try different directions."

"Let's go with North, and West." Alex said to herself as she changed the search entry. "Ah, Washington DC. Much better." Alex smiled.

"So, the old base in DC...that was destroyed?"

"The Triskeleton? There's no way there's anything left...they helicarrier knocked it down and the ruins were turned into a small memorial to make it look like a terrorist attack."

"Terrorist attack?"

"Well they had to tell the public something other than the truth." Alex shrugged.

"True, true." Piper trailed off.

"But, how will we get to DC? You have to stay here, you're under serious monitoring. And Steve can't leave either. But, I can..."

"Piper, are you sure, by yourself?"

"I mean, it would be nice to have a sidekick, but, I need to be a man about this. I'll head out first thing after my shift. Actually, screw it. I'll grab my stuff and go now. They can get another paper slave."

"Aren't you forgetting something? How are you going to get there?" Alex piped up.

"I'll fly." Piper retorted sarcastically. "I don't know, I'll figure it out."

"Wait! Steve said something about Sam going to DC this afternoon for the whole wild goose chase for Bucky! Go with him!"

"Sam...Wilson?" Piper swallowed.

"Yeah! Sam's a great guy, why not?"

"I'm just shy..." Piper trailed off.

"You, shy? Around a buff attractive man?"

Piper nodded.

Alex gasped with excitement, "You like him! Don't you?"

"I wouldn't say like, I don't know him that well. But he is really nice, and funny, and, attractive..."

"This is good! You two would be so cute together! Oh my gosh, you're going to DC with Sam and nothing will stop you. Come on, lets go find him." Alex said, grabbing Piper by the arm.

"Wait, like right now?"

"Yes!"

The two made their way out the door and continued down the corridor without any haste.

* * *

As Alex and Piper rounded the corner to the training area, they say everyone leaving for the evening.

"Wanda!" Alex called.

"Yes, Alex?"

"Have you seen Sam anywhere?"

"Oh, he said something about leaving for Washington soon. Why, did you need to see him?"

"Sort of, it's hard to explain...thanks for your help!" Alex said in under a second, grabbing Piper's wrist and sprinting off again.

They were at the garage in only minutes, and Alex saw Sam on his motorcycle about to head out."

"Sam!" Alex screamed, sprinting for him, leaving Piper behind.

Alex was able to rest her hands on the front of the bike just as Sam was revving the engine to leave.

"Whoa! Alex?" he said, turning the ignition off. "Everything okay? I thought you knew to look both ways before crossing the street?" He chuckled.

Alex panted, "It's not about me, it's Piper. We're onto something, and, she needs to get to DC. Could she go with you?"

"Sure, as long as she doesn't mine riding out in the open on this old thing." Sam grinned, turning around to wave and Piper who was slowly making her way over.

"She's a little shy, and can get kinda crazy, but I promise you'll love her." Alex winked.

"Hi, Sam." Piper said awkwardly, standing next to Alex.

"Hi, Piper." Sam grinned. "So, you need to get to DC?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to find something I left there..." She said, winking, signaling that she was certainly lying.

"Ah, gotchya. Well, there's room for two on this thing. You wouldn't mind staying for a couple of days, would you? I've got a spare room in the apartment you can use to hide out, and stay in, of course."

"That sounds great!" She smiled. "Let met go grab a couple of things, and I'll be right back!"

Piper darted off, and Sam parked his bike and got off the leather seat.

"Thank you so much for doing this, we just figured out that we needed something from DC about five minutes ago."

"Hey, anything for Steve's girl and her friends. Besides, we're all close here, right?"

"Yeah, Nat's a little anti-social, but, I can't blame her." Alex chuckled.

He smiled and laughed softly in response.

"So, how's the case about Barnes going?"

"Slow, but, we're making progress. There's been a sighting downtown from where The Triskeleton was, so I figured I'd check it out."

Alex nodded. "It still getting to Steve. I know it is. And I feel awful for him. I can't imagine what it's like..."

"Me either." Sam muttered.

Piper returned only moments later with a backpack filled with her needs for a couple days away from the base.

Alex and Piper said their goodbyes, and she rode off out onto the open road holding Sam's torso tight, and Alex couldn't help but smile.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

I made my way back into the building and towards the training area when I saw Steve socializing with Wanda and JARVIS (Yes, I still call him that. Even robots have an alias.) Rhodey wasn't always around the temporary base.

"Alex!" Wanda called, waving.

I waved and smiled in return. "Hey, Piper just left with Sam for DC." I said, standing next to Steve.

"Piper? She's going with him?"

"Yeah, she uh, needs to see some family. They aren't doing well."

"Sam was okay with a little extra company?" Steve chuckled.

"Yep! I just, gave him the typical warnings about Piper's insanity and seemed fine with it."

"Well good, I think a weekend away will be nice for her."

"Oh, Alex, Steve, you must joining us for dinner this evening. Natasha said we all need to know each other better to be a proper team." Wanda said, her accent thick.

"Nat said that? Really?" I questioned.

"Yes, I heard her as well. She said something about us being all fight and no connections." JARVIS spoke up.

"I guess it's not a bad idea, I mean we're down a couple but I don't think a little bonding could hurt." Steve replied.

"Will Dr. Banner be accompanying our feast?"

Steve shrugged. "No idea."

I smirked at the way the new JARVIS, "The Vision", talked. It was still JARVIS, but, his facial expressions made it more comical.

Dinner time came around rather fast, because the next thing I knew, I was sitting at a table talking it up with these people.

Vision never ate anything, obviously. So it was awkward when he would just watch other people eat sometimes and then start asking questions about it. Or other times, he would start rambling about the incredible works of the human body (particularly the digestive system) and make everyone severely uncomfortable.

Meals with other super humans were weird. I remembered how Piper and I use to chow down on a pizza in the middle of the night, and this was much different. The way everyone ate their food somehow resembled their personality. Nat would pick at her food, but still eat it after awhile with gratitude since she wasn't fed much in her past. Bruce would do the same, appreciating the blessing slow and enjoying it. Wanda ate about the same pace as Steve and I, which was basically normal. We were thankful for the food, but we ate what we were given.

But Steve's food intake always made me laugh. He would eat small amounts around other people, but when we were alone, he would be snacking on something almost every half hour. He ate healthier than most animals do, he'd probably never even ate a dorito chip his entire life. But then again, with all of the jokes online about Steve looking like a dorito, I don't think I would either. I never understood how he could be so lean and snack so much, but then again, if his metabolism burns about four times faster than the average person, I could easily see it.

"So, Alex, how have you been feeling lately?" Nat piped up.

"Better, I guess. Have you heard any from Clint since we saw him that weekend?"

"No, not really. He's busy with the kids."

"I miss Clint," Wanda began, "He always brought a comedic light to the place that not many others can do."

"You know what I miss?" I started, "The Tower."

Everyone agreed.

"And I think I miss the AI system, too."

"What, I'm right here."

"Guys, I think I still hear his voice..." I snickered.

JARVIS glared at me, which was still something I was getting used to. "I'm just kidding, dude."

"Your jokes puzzle me, Mrs. Rogers." He paused. "I remember when I used to call you Miss Cooper, before you hooked up with the Captain."

"Me too, JARVIS, me too." I grinned, holding Steve's hand under the table.

"Speaking of romance, we've got two singles at this table who could likely hook up." I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Alex, I'm not going to share romantic feelings or actions with a robot." Wanda muttered to me.

"I have some emotions, but I have no reproductive system." JARVIS said plainly.

Nat and I started laughing, being the only two with a dirty sense of humor at the table. Bruce just rolled his eyes, and Steve smirked thinking of how dirty I could be sometimes.

"What about your friend, Piper? Does she have a lover?" Wanda asked.

"Well..." I started, "She may or may not be trying to be a thing with Sam..."

"Sam Wilson, Sam?" Nat asked.

"Yes, but shh! I never told any of you!"

"Sam and Piper, it's cute." Steve said to me.

"Yeah, I think that Sam's laid back attitude is Piper's other half that she needs to find. She's so crazy sometimes. I think Sam would be good for her."

"But seriously, Wanda, any guys on your mind?" Nat asked.

"Okay when did this become a table of horny middle school teenagers?" Bruce spoke up.

"I think it's always been that way." Steve smirked.

"Not really, I don't have time for romance. I don't need it either."

"Preach it!" Nat shouted.

"Hey," Bruce said.

"What, I used to say that before I had a thing for you." Nat replied, batting her eyelashes jokingly.

"Yep, horny teenagers." Bruce muttered causing an uproar of laughter.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Sam and Piper arrived at DC only an hour or so after dusk, and the city looked so beautiful at night.

"Wow, I haven't been here since, the HYDRA takeover." Piper sighed, hopping off the bike.

"I've been here a couple times since then, but not many." Sam replied. "Let's hurry up and get inside before we get attacked by fangirls or paparazzi or something."

"Which is worse?" Piper chuckled, helping with a few bags.

"Fangirls. Definitely."

They both got everything inside, and Piper was surprised at how clean and modern Sam's apartment was.

"Wow, nice place. Alex and I could never keep our old apartment clean to save our lives."

"Where'd you two live?"

"New York. Born and raised in Brooklyn. It was only a few weeks after the chaos with the Chitauri and the Avengers when SHIELD found Alex and recruited her."

"I remember watching all of that on TV," Sam began.

"It feels like it was only yesterday." Sam and Piper both said simultaneously.

Piper felt herself blushing, and she awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her hair. "Do you mind if I use your restroom? Long rides make me have to pee." She muttered shyly.

"Yeah, yeah, you can use the one in the spare bedroom. Go down your hall and it's the first door on your left. The bathroom's on the right side of the bed."

"Thanks," She said, walking off and feeling even more heat rush to her cheeks.

Piper shut the bathroom door and quickly dialed Alex's number on her phone.

"Piper?"

"Alex! Help! I'm a blushing nervous mess!" Piper whispered.

"Wait, what?" Alex asked, covering her other ear with her finger.

"Tell her that I said hi!"

"Is that Natasha?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, we all had dinner together and now she's just a little drunk."

Piper heard a glass break in the background and some laughter after that.

"Just a little." Alex repeated. "So, what's your emergency?"

"We just got to Sam's place, and I'm already super nervous and I keep turning red!"

"Piper, piper, just breathe." Alex said.

"I am breathing!" Piper said, her voice at full volume. She quickly covered her mouth.

"Okay, just, have confidence, don't show too much skin and make things awkward and just be yourself! Everything will be fine!"

"Use protection!" Nat shouted in the background.

"How many drinks did she have?!" Piper whispered frantically.

"I don't know, four?" Alex muttered.

"I think it was six." Steve replied.

"Okay, whatever, thanks." Piper said.

"No problem. And good luck!"

Piper hung up the phone and took a deep breath, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Piper, are you alright? I heard you shout." Sam said.

"Um, yeah! I'm fine!" She responded, fixing up her hair a little before opening the door.

"I talk to myself, a lot, sorry." Piper said.

Sam smiled heartily, "Hey, there's no judging in this apartment! Do you want something to eat? There's a really good Mexican place around the corner if you're up to that kind of thing."

"Sure, Mexican sounds great." Piper sighed, grinning.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the base, Bruce had to take a drunk Natasha back to her room and everyone said their goodbyes for the night.

"Talk about an insane dinner." Alex sighed, opening the bedroom door.

"I know, that was crazy. I don't think I've ever seen Nat get drunk before." Steve said.

"Me either! It's not like her! I've never even seen her take a drink before!"

Steve agreed. "What did Piper call you for?"

"Oh, she's all nervous because she likes Sam. I think she'll be fine. It's awkward that they're staying together but he was the only ticket to DC for the weekend."

"Yeah, why did she need to go to DC again?"

"She found something, a document that gave us coordinates to where The Triskeleton used to be and a jumble of numbers."

"Well, that's progress, right?"

"Yeah, slow progress." I sighed.

"Hey, something's better than nothing."

"True, true."

"Do you really think Piper will be able to find it?"

"Yeah, I think she'll do just fine."

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

The next day, Piper went to the cover up memorial where The Triskeleton once stood.

Names of Agents lost were engraved into a marble wall, and small tourist information boxes scattered rose gardens.

Piper began her search by appearing as an aimless tourist, reading the names of the deceased and reading each and every info box like any other being would.

'The coordinates took me here, so the other number must involve something here.' Piper thought to herself.

_801012973._

She checked the names again, and saw that they each had a number next to them.

_80\. Jasper Sitwell._

_"_ Jasper wasn't killed at The Triskeleton. He was killed by oncoming traffic in that car chase with the Winter Soldier." Piper muttered. She looked back down at her numbers, and the first two were a match. She ran her hand over the marble, and quickly noted that his name was on a separate tile that could move. Piper checked looked around, and the coast was clear. She quickly popped the tile out of the marble to reveal a hollow spot where a full brick would have rested. She reached her hand in and felt a combination lock in the back.

One, two, three, four. Four dials.

_1012._

Another small compartment opened, and Piper reached in to feel a small box. She quickly pulled it out and but the piece of marble she'd removed back into it's place.

The little box had a three-digit combination code, and Piper knew it was the last three digits of the long number from the document.

* * *

Back at Sam's apartment, Piper sat the little box on the kitchen table and began to fiddle with the combination lock, turning each dial with her fingers until the dials rested at 973.

The box popped open.

Piper opened the box, and her eyebrows furrowed at what laid before her.

"An old piece of paper, and a jewel? Did Jasper Sitwell secretly have a thing for jewelry?"

The shard of clear crystal felt cold in Piper's warm hand as she studied it closely. It was about an inch and a half in length, the top beginning as a small point and growing out into the larger part of the chiseled shard that made for the bottom. The top half of the crystal was covered in metal which consisted of a beautiful design etched into it. The metal ended at different lengths, giving it the appearance of vines on the beautiful crystal. Small swirls and and dots were in the metal, and some spots remained open to reveal a little of the crystal's top half.

After examining the crystal, Piper took out the piece of paper.

"Yes!" She muttered to herself.

Another journal page.

_Entry #2_

_June 10th, 1980_

_"I have done more research on my project. More and more possibilities continue to open up, but I must choose one path to destiny even with the many others available. One needs to be chosen to direct the future of our children's children, and I feel that I am that person. I have access to power almost no other man can even dream of. I am one step closer to changing the future, and I have no plans on stopping there. Lucy is progressing quite well without me, as I am without her. I aspire to see her again in the future, knowing that they just can't seem to stay away."_

* * *

Alex tossed and turned in bed as her mind played ungrateful flashbacks in her dreams.

Her palms were grasping tightly to fist fulls of sheets and blankets as her body lasted out and tried to escape the horror of what was happening in her mind.

But she couldn't, and that's what scared her the most.

_The purple beast sat upon his red throne, with his golden armor shining dimly in the lack of light._

_Stars surrounded him, a galaxy far off in outer space._

_She saw her red eyes, glowing brightly in the darkness that surrounded her._

_Her lungs fought for oxygen, and her throat tightened with every breath._

_"Ste...Steve!" She gasped._

_There was no response._

_She was alone, and the purple man was coming._

_He was coming for all of them._


	8. Brace Yourselves, Winter is Coming

_**irst Person POV** _

I awoke the next morning sitting up in bed, with Steve's strong arms wrapped around my frame. My head was resting on his shoulder, and the blankets were covering us both up to the waist.

I studied Steve's features, and he looked tough, ready for a fight. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, and his jaw was clenched tight. I noted the nearly dry tear stains running down his cheeks and used my thumb to wipe them away.

"Steve?" I whispered, as he started to stir.

"Are you feeling better honey?" He quickly asked, his voice groggy.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay."

"What was your nightmare about?"

"The purple man again, and, those weird stones..."

"Maybe we should tell someone about that. Do you think they know what they are?"

"Yes, but who? They might think I'm going crazy and send me howling to the nuthouse."

Steve chuckled gently at my phrase. "I think you'll be fine."

"Did you have a bad dream last night?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"When I woke up there were tear stains on your cheeks."

"Oh," He muttered, looking down.

"Steve, its okay to talk about it. What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Seeing you in so much pain last night, it just got me upset. You were having trouble breathing, and your body was in full on panic mode."

"Is that all?"

Silence.

"Steve..." I said gently. "You can tell me anything."

"I thought about Sam and Piper off in DC, and then I thought about Bucky and I just," he shrugged, "lost it I guess."

"We're going to find him, and make this all better again."

"But what if he's already dead?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Bucky I knew, he's gone. I don't think any kind of science could fix all of the torture they put him through."

"He might not get all of his memory back, but I know he will remember you. You were each other's world, he'd remember you before anyone or anything else."

"I guess you're right, I just worry sometimes."

"Everything will be okay. I promise." I said, smiling weakly.

Steve reciprocated my action, before pulling me into a warm and comfortable hug.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Piper awoke to the smell of eggs and the clanking of pots in the kitchen.

"Is he making breakfast?" She chuckled to herself, throwing her legs over the side of the bed.

Piper quickly fixed herself up the bathroom, making her hair presentable and splashing her face with cold water.

"Morning," She said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, good morning. Do you like eggs? I mean, there's plenty of other stuff to make I just assumed-"

"No, no, eggs are great. I haven't had real homemade eggs since Stark Tower." Piper grinned, sitting down at the table.

"Yeah, the ones at the base are nasty."

"It's that fake powdered junk..." Piper trailed off.

"Yeah, the food there is just terrible. Considering for all of the money put into it, its clearly not put into the grocery trips, huh?"

"Totally." Piper responded as Sam brought their plates to the table and sat down across from Piper.

"So, did you do what you needed to do yesterday?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! I did. It's all good."

"Now, I'm just curious, and you don't have to elaborate, but, I could tell the family thing was a lie."

"Yeah, um, it's for Alex."

"Oh, all of her vision problems?"

"Hmmhmm, you know about that?"

"Steve elaborated a little, but, not a whole lot."

"We're trying to find an answer, and, this weird clue thing we found gave us coordinates to DC."

"Weird clue thing? I deal with those all of the time." Sam joked.

"Oh really?" Piper snickered.

"Yeah, totally. But, for real, you're good?"

"Yep, ready to head back as soon as you are." Piper grinned.

"So much for whole weekend then." Sam chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. But hey, I don't mind being away from that base. Like, at all."

"Agreed."

There was silence for a moment as the two ate before Sam spoke up.

"Well I'm gonna go check out the stuff I need to check out after this, do you mind laying low until I get back?"

"Sure! I need to call Alex anyways. She's probably worried."

About 20 minutes later, Sam was running Piper through everything in case of an emergency.

"Okay, so, if something happens and people try to break in or they do break in, there's a pistol under each mattress or cushion and extra ammo hidden in the each potted plant."

"Oh, so that's why you have so many plants..." Piper muttered. "Do you think I'll be okay?"

"I think everything will be fine. I'm just taking precautionary measures, that's all."

Piper nodded. "Be safe." She said softly as Sam began to head towards the door.

"I will. You too." He grinned warmly before leaving.

After he was gone, Piper stood in the silence of the apartment.

Piper made the decision to call Alex, figuring it would be best to have someone to talk to so she didn't get scared.

"Hello?" Alex's voice emitted from the phone speaker, calming Piper's nerves instantly.

"Alex! I miss you so much! How have things been?"

"Fine, how have things been with Sam? Did anything happen?" Alex asked.

"No, not yet. But he's so nice and really funny!"

Alex chuckled. "I'm assuming he's not around?"

"No, he went to go check out a call about Bucky."

"Oh, and did you-"

"Yes! I found something!" Piper shouted.

"Oh my gosh no way! Tell me!"

"Okay, so, I found another journal page and..." she trailed off.

"And what?! Piper you're killing me here!" Alex shouted.

"A crystal!"

"A what?"

"A crystal! It's really pretty, but I'm not sure what it's for yet. It was hidden behind the journal page in another secret compartment."

"Secret compartment? How did you find that?"

"Well I was looking at all of the names on the wall and I noticed that Jasper Sitwell's was there. He didn't die at the location of the triskeleton and I only you, Steve, Sam, Nat and I would've known about that. And then that jumble of numbers under the coordinates also linked up with his death number and they were to the combination inside."

"Piper! You're a genius!"

"I try." Piper sighed.

"What did the journal page say?"

"Howard basically made peace with your mom and had gotten over her and he mentioned about having access to power that no other man could have? And something about directing their children's children? I don't know."

"That's weird. I'll have to read it when you come back. Any clues on where to look next?"

"No. But we still have to find case file #1125, whatever that's going to say. Maybe it will have another clue?"

"I don't know. I can't imagine where else to look!"

'What about Tony?"

"What?" Alex deadpanned.

"Why not? If Howard kept this journal he probably kept more. Tony probably has them. You know how stuff gets handed down to people's next of kin."

"Yeah but SHIELD might have taken them already."

"We don't know that. Give it a try!"

"Piper, I can't ask Tony, Steve would kill me if I brought him into this mess..."

"Just lie. Don't say that it involves all of this other stuff and say that you're finding an old file for me since I'm out of town this weekend."

"Piper..."

"Alex, we need answers. Think about it. You're not getting any better and these pages are leading us somewhere. It's like he left them for us, Als. Do this for yourself. Do it for us! I can't live without you, Steve would crash and burn without you..." Piper's voice cracked over the phone and hot tears began to condense in her eyes.

"Okay, I'll ask Tony." Alex sighed. "Take it easy, and stay safe. I miss you!"

"I miss you too. Love you," Piper replied.

"I love you too." Alex grinned, hanging up the phone.

* * *

**_ First Person POV _ **

"I guess it's time to talk to Tony." I sighed.

I looked down at the phone, staring at the illuminated numerals before me. I exhaled deeply before dialing Tony's number and holding the phone up to my ear.

After only three rings, the other end of the line answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tony, what's up?"

"Well its been forever since I've heard your voice! How's the misses doing?"

"Good, I guess."

"Well that didn't sound enthusiastic."

"I know, it's been rough. I can't lie."

"Something bugging you? You don't call me very often. Not with Capsicle there."

I paused.

"I need your help with something."

"You need my help with something?" Tony asked, surprised.

I nodded, taking a second to realize he couldn't actually see me.

"Yes." I replied softly.

"Is this about Steve? Is he not trying new methods like I asked him to?"

"What? New methods? Tony! You guys are gross!"

I heard him snicker over the phone line, and I could just see his sly grin in the back of my head.

"Wipe that grin off your face! Now seriously, do you think you could help with something?"

"Well, that depends on what it is. I'm not helping you terrorize anybody and I'd rather not be involved in any revolutionary way, shape and or form."

"No, nothing like that. I've been going through some old papers for Piper this weekend since she's away, and some of the papers had your dad's name on them."

Silence. "So, what are you asking me?" Tony questioned.

"Do you think I could look through some of the old things your dad handed down to you to see if I can find out anything else?"

"What kind of papers are we talking here?"

"I don't know, but Piper's boss is making me find the rest of them."

"How do you know there's more?"

"They've got numbers on them, like, three out of five type thing?" I said.

"I've got some old boxes of his somewhere. I'll dig them out, where and when should we rendezvous?"

"Safest place would probably be where you're at. Could I come down tomorrow?"

"Sure, is anybody else coming with you?"

"I don't know yet, why?"

"I was just wondering. Maybe it's something better we do alone?"

"Why, is something wrong?"

"No...I just-" He stammered.

"You don't want Steve coming, do you?"

"I never said that."

Neither of us spoke.

"I'll start heading your way. See you in a couple of hours?"

"Sure, yeah. I'll uh, see you later." I said has whole-heartedly as I could.

"Stay safe, kiddo."

"You too, nerd." I grinned.

I hung up the phone and felt a wave of relief wash over me, but a tsunami of worry brewing inside my head.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Piper was still alone at Sam's apartment, and she was starting to worry. Sam had been gone for almost four hours, and he never really specified when he'd be back. Piper knew that it was something about finding Bucky and that made her worry. What if there'd been an attack? What if Sam actually found Bucky and Bucky strangled the crap out of him? What if-

Piper's rapidly wandering mind was interrupted by the phone ringing.

She ran over and answered it without haste.

"Hello?" She panted.

"Hey, it's Sam. Are you alright? You don't sound okay."

"I'm just worried! Where are you?!"

"I'm getting ready to head back. It was a false alarm."

Piper felt her muscles ease into a relaxing state at his words. "Okay, when do you think you'll get back?"

"Maybe another hour or so. But I won't be too long, I promise."

"Alright, see you soon."

"Bye." Sam chuckled.

"Men really know how to freak a woman out. Not to mention ones involved with saving the world. Good grief." She muttered to herself as she walked back to her room.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

Tony had picked me up in his convertible, and now we were back at his own "temporary base". It resembled a luxury house, much like the one he used to have in Malibu. I told Steve about my little trip, and he seemed a little tense about it. It took a little persuasion, but he finally agreed to let me go alone.

"A few boxes?" I gaped as we walked into what was the main room. A massive pile of old boxes was in the center of the room, with at least 30 decent sized cardboard containers in the mix.

"Yeah, that's not that many."

"Your definition of 'few' is completely screwed!" I half-laughed. "This is gonna take hours!"

"Well, we better get started then." He said, walking towards the pile.

I scoffed, following his lead.

After hours of searching through box after box, I finally stumbled on some papers that looked like the ones I needed.

_Entry #3_

_August 3rd, 1980_

_Things have changed much in the past few months. Lucy has returned to my side, as Dexter treated her as nothing but a lab rat. She explained to me some of the works she completed with Dexter, and I laugh. He has resorted to robots of all things. Lucy and I's relationship has been restored. She is a beautiful woman, one with great talents. We have been working well together in the lab, and many advancements in my research have been made. This ancient power I have access to gives me more power than any scientist or mortal has ever dreamed of. I must end this note, as Lucy and I have plans for late tonight._

"What are you staring at?" Tony spoke up.

"It's one of the papers."

"Let me see."

I wanted to blurt out, "Why?", but I knew I couldn't. There was no reason for me to not give Tony the paper. It belonged to his father.

"Alex, what are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing, I just, the way he wrote this...Maria wasn't your biological mother, was she?"

"No. But she was my mom."

"Yeah, I get that much. Did you ever know your birth mother?"

"No, Howard said she left him not long after I was born."

"What year were you born?"

"Alex! Quit the twenty questions and give me the sheet already!" Tony was getting frustrated.

"Answer me first."

"May 29th, 1970!"

"So you were ten when this was written...and I'm ten years younger than you..."

It all fit.

I never met my father. Mom said that she was attacked and I was conceived that way. But that didn't make sense. Mom would never let someone do that to her. Not with her powers.

Tony never met his birth mother. Unless he did, and just didn't know it.

"Tony, I think we're related." I breathed.

"What?!" He snapped. "Alex! You're out of your mind!"

"Think about it, Tony! You never met your mother, and this note is indicated that my mom and your dad got busy quite often! I never met my dad, and this was written about a year before I was born!"

Tony looked at me with an expressionless face.

"They were lab partners. More than that apparently. That's why we're looking for these notes. He left behind these journal pages, and, he was helping my mother with her abilities, that got transferred to me through her. It all makes sense."

"But why didn't they tell us?"

"I have no idea." I breathed.

* * *

Tony and I shook off the idea of being related for the moment, and went back to searching. We could solve that problem later.

I stumbled upon another journal page, and a file along with it.

_Entry #4_

_October 2nd, 1980_

_Lucy and I have come much closer to our goal. We have condensed our research to the most important and necessary facts. Now we work on getting out hands on this magic. We will need the work of a god to complete our mission. Well, my mission. I love Lucy dearly, but she does not agree with my plan. I need to convince her that this is the only way to make sure that her genes will someday save the world, generation after generation._

"These notes are getting weirder and weirder." I muttered to myself, setting the old piece of paper aside.

There was another sheet below it.

**_File #: 1125_ **

**_Seidr_ **

I inhaled sharply, the word causing my mind to freeze when my eyes scanned over the ink it was written in.

Suddenly, flashes of my vision of the purple man popped back into my head.

_The purple man sat upon his throne, with the golden armor and his wicked smile._

_Five stones appeared. Green, blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow._

_Mind, reality, soul, space, time, and power._

_A crystal flashed into vision next._

_And then Piper._

"Alex!" Tony shouted, shaking me violently.

I looked up into his eyes, and felt my head become heavy as my consciousness returned to reality.

"What's wrong?" He asked sternly, staring into my eyes.

I quickly looked down at the document and saw that all of the words were in Norse.

"I need to go." I breathed.

"You're not going anywhere! You're eyes just freaking turned red! Like, red red!" Tony shouted.

"I don't care. I need help."

"Alex, listen to me,"

"Tony!" I screamed, a wave of energy shooting away from my body on all sides. Tony almost lost his balance, but regained it quickly. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. I looked to my left to see my own reflection and could see why he was horrified. The red was surging through my veins, much brighter than the last time they'd illuminated. My eyes were still glowing bright, the whites of my eyes now black.

I took a deep breath and all of the red faded away, and my eyes returned to normal.

"Alex," Tony began softly.

I turned to him, my hands shaking.

"You're sick. And you're not going to get any better without some help."

* * *

Tony took me back to the Avengers Base in Upstate New York in the blink of an eye. Steve was waiting for us in the hanger when we got back.

Steve ran up to me and wrapped his arms around my form. "It's gonna be okay," He muttered, shooting a glare at Tony over my shoulder.

"We need Thor. Or somebody who can read Norse." Tony said plainly.

Tony handed Steve the papers and I could feel the hateful tension between them rising quickly.

"Luckily I got a hold of him while you were gone." A voice spoke up from behind. We turned around to see Nat standing there. "We should really have each other on speed dial. That would help a lot." She muttered as we all followed her inside.

* * *

Tony placed the document on the table and we all gathered around Thor.

"Well, what's it say?" I asked frantically.

"I haven't gotten the chance to read it yet." Thor replied, looking up at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"Sorry." I muttered, shaking my head.

Thor looked down at the sheet and began focusing on it intently.

"Oh no..."

"What is it?!" I gasped.

"Thor..." Steve warned.

"I must speak with the Captain's wife about this...alone." Thor said, his eyes not leaving the paper.


	9. Sometimes You Gotta Fall Before You Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title Credit: "Who Are You Now" by Sleeping With Sirens / Album: "Let's Cheers To This"

Everyone left Thor and I alone, and I could feel the fear coming to life in my veins.

"What did it say, Thor?"

"Do you know about Sedir?"

The word caused me to cringe.

"It keeps appearing, yes."

"It is an ancient form of Norse magic, even something I myself haven't seen in my many years of life all throughout the nine realms. Both of my parents are legendary for mastering the energy, and in their days long ago, using it. Sedir was used to re-weave destiny's web. One small change could result in an entire legacy of people never being born, or something as massive as the creation of another planet not happening."

I already knew all of that, but he didn't need to know that I did. I swallowed deeply. "Where are you going with this?"

"Howard had this file for a reason. And it's clearly been heavily used. I have a horrible feeling that Stark got himself involved with things he shouldn't have messed with."

"How though? Sedir is purely Norse, how did he get his hands on it?"

"I don't know. But I fear that something of the supernatural is wrong with you, Alex. Steve mentioned you've been having visions. Do you mind telling me what they're of?"

I paused. "I've seen, many things, but, the most recurring is a vision with these stones."

"What kind of stones?"

"There are six of them. And they have something to do with a really big, purple guy." I felt like a small child when the words escaped my mouth. Way to be descriptive.

Thor froze. "Those are the Infinity Stones. And that man you see is Thanos. I've seen him before in my mind as well."

"Is that good or bad?!" I panicked.

" Thanos is all except for good, and I do not know. I'm going to look for answers. Whatever you do, don't go off alone. Something is wrong and I fear that things may get worse with time."

Thor walked up to me and wrapped his broad figure around mine.

"Stay safe, Lady Alex, you know that I care for you much like the sister I never had." Thor said softly. He pulled away, holding my hand gently in his grasp as he raised it to his lips for a gentle kiss.

"I love you too, blondie." I grinned.

* * *

Thor left for Asgard, and Steve never left my side.

"How long has he been gone?" Steve asked.

"About an hour, Steve." I sighed, my nose deep into re-reading the journal pages Tony and I had found.

"He needs to hurry..." Steve muttered.

"Steve,"

"Did he say when he'd be back?"

"Steve,"

"I wish he would have told me first..."

"Steve!"

"What?"

"Take a deep breath, and relax. I'm fine."

He gave me a look.

"At the moment." I sighed. "Can you help me solve this other issue while we're waiting for answer about the other one?"

"What's wrong?"

"I think that Tony and I may or may not be related."

Steve froze. "Honey, there's no way..."

"According to Howard's journal pages, I believe there is more than a slight chance that we are."

"May I see them?"

"Sure," I said, handing them over to Steve.

His eyes breezed over each word with ease yet meaning. I watched as he absorbed every little detail into his mind.

I watched as Steve's facial expression changed from concentration to concern.

"I see what you mean." He said plainly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. We don't know that anything actually happened."

"Would you be upset if it did?"

Silence.

"Steve? Would you be upset if I was related to Tony?"

"It wouldn't be the happiest news, but, I wouldn't love you any less, I wouldn't treat you any different, none of that." He said reassuringly.

"Why do you two get under each other's skin like that?"

"I don't know." He muttered.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

It was the middle of the night, and Piper was in a deep sleep.

Sam had gotten back around six, and they ate some pizza before going to bed for the night.

Sam's cellphone buzzing on his dresser woke him almost immediately, and he quickly answered it.

"Hello?" He said, groggy. "Are you positive?" ... "I'm on my way."

Sam darted over to the spare room where Piper was sleeping and walked over to her sleeping figure. She looked so peaceful, but this was important, and he needed to tell her where he was going.

"Piper, Piper wake up,"

"Hmm? Is it morning already?" Piper yawned.

"No, it's not even one yet. I just got a call, they found him."

"Bucky?!" She nearly shouted, more alert.

"Shh, and yes, apparently. I have to go, now, but I wanted to tell you first."

"I'm coming with you!" Piper defended.

"Piper, that's too dangerous, I can't let you!"

"Look, I know I seem stupid, but I'm not an idiot. I'm going with you!"

"Piper,"

"I'm not staying here worried sick all night! I'll be fine, Sam! Everybody always treats me like I'm some child who can't fend for herself and I'm sick of it! I'm going to put up a fight and do anything for any of you before you're my family! And I'm not going to sit back and watch while you guys fight a war without me!"

Sam exhaled. "Okay, okay. But if something happens to you..."

"It won't. And if it does, it's my fault."

"Be ready in five?"

"I'll be ready in three." Piper grinned, jumping out of bed. Sam held his head in his hands, feeling regret wash over him.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

I felt my body gain consciousness as the sound of Steve's soft voice filled my ears. I turned in bed, my eyes scanning the dark room to try and locate where the sound was coming from.

"What do you mean you found him?" Steve muttered.

There was a pause.

"Is Piper with you?"

It was Sam. They found Bucky. I knew that's what this was about.

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't let him out of your sight, please." Steve pleaded.

I waited until Steve had hung up the phone to let him know I was awake.

"Honey, what's going on?" I said quietly, sitting up in bed.

Steve looked like a lost dog trying to find his way home again. My question seemed to fly right past him. He quickly made his way to his dresser and started digging around for his uniform.

"Steve?" I asked, louder this time.

"I have to go." He replied, rather quiet.

"Who was that on the phone?"

"It was Sam. He's got a lead on Bucky, and this time it's actually him. He's in captivity and I need to get there before he escapes again."

"I'm coming with you." I said, hopping out of bed.

"No, you're not." Steve said sternly, grabbing both of my arms and gently sitting my body back down on the bed.

"Steve, I can't just sit here and do nothing while you go and risk your life trying to save your friend.  _I'm coming_." I said more firmly, standing up and darting past him to the closet to get my own uniform.

"Alex, I'm not letting you get hurt or worse! You're already sick! We can't take that chance!"

"Yes we can, Steve! Our entire job is about taking a chance to save people! That's what a hero does!" I shouted.

"You're sick, Alex! I can't risk you getting hurt because of something that could easily be avoided!"

"What's the point in me waiting here, helpless and alone, while you go and save your friend! I'll just be pacing back and forth worrying about you! Thor told you not to let me out of anybody's sight anyways!"

"I'll get Nat to watch you!

"Oh so I need a babysitter?! What am I a little kid to you?!" I screamed.

"I can't lose you!"

I paused, taking a deep breath and lowering my voice before I responded. "And I can't lose you! What do you think this ring means to me, Steve?! I'll be there with you, until some day death do us part. Through sickness and health, through the good and the bad. I'm in this battle just as much as you are, there's no protecting me. We're going together, and I mean it."

Steve's eyes locked on mine, and I could see the emotions racing in his mind. He was worried about me, concerned, a little frustrated even, and I understood where he was coming from. But I was tired of him treating me like a child who couldn't defend herself.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, tears brimming in his eyes. It had just hit him that we'd had our first heated argument ever in the history of our relationship.

"I'm sorry too." I breathed, feeling hot tears building in my own eyes. "But right now, we need to be strong and take care of this mission."

He nodded, putting his hands on my hips and resting our foreheads together. "I love you, so much." He kissed my forehead and held me close.

"I love you too."

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Sam and Piper walked into the abandoned base where Bucky had been taken to.

Two of Sam's old friends were the ones who had been helping with the search and had caught Bucky.

They escorted Sam and Piper to Bucky. He was sitting on the floor, his metal arm being held tight by a large machine, surely with a magnet.

Piper swallowed deeply, and she felt the fear wash over her. She'd heard many good things about Bucky, but that was the old Bucky. This was the Winter Soldier, a murderer, a super soldier, a ghost.

"Thanks, fellas. I'll take it from here. Watch for Rogers for me?"

The duo nodded and left.

Sam looked at Piper, making sure she was okay. She had her arms folded tightly over her torso, hugging herself tightly. She nodded lightly to signal that she was okay.

"Who are you?" Bucky said, not moving a muscle, staring at the floor.

"We're friends. We're here to help you."

He looked up, locking eyes with Sam. Piper could head the gears buzzing and whirring in his bionic arm as he readjusted himself, and it gave her chills.

"I remember you. You were with that girl, and,  _him_."

Bucky paused.

"The man from the bridge. I remember him."

His gaze met Piper's. She froze. She got lost in his eyes. She'd seen those eyes before. She could feel how broken he was, how lost and confused. He'd been trained to hide his emotions and do nothing except for hunt and kill. She could feel that. The weight on his shoulders, his pain that he couldn't show because he didn't know how. The frustration because he could recognize Steve, but he couldn't remember everything.

"And who are you?"

Piper was snapped back into reality by his words. She found it hard to look away, but she had to. She glanced over at Sam who gave her an assuring nod.

"I'm Piper, I'm, a friend of Sam's."

Bucky looked lost. His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked down again. He was remembering more.

"Where's Steve?"

Both Piper and Sam looked up when he said the name. He really did remember.

* * *

Meanwhile in Asgard, Thor was going through the grand library in the palace. It felt odd being back in that library. The only two people who would regularly come here were his mother, and Loki. And they were both gone. It felt strange. This was the first time he'd really sat alone and thought about it. He'd been so busy with battling Ultron in Midgard.

He read through book after book, and they were just old encyclopedias about the stuff, nothing like this document was saying.

"I didn't take you as much of a reader."

Thor spun around. "Father?" He muttered, quickly correcting himself. "Father!" He said with more enthusiasm.

"Oh, do not lie. I saw that look." Odin sighed.

The two shared a small greeting before their conversation resumed.

"So, what brings you here? Back home, and sneaking around in the library?"

"I need some information on Sedir. Do you have anything that could help with my search?"

"Depends. Why are you looking for it?"

"My Midgardian friend, Alex, she's sick. And I fear that it has something to do with Asgardian magic. A curse perhaps?"

"Why would she have a curse like that?"

"I haven't got the slightest idea. That's why I'm here." Thor responded. "Are you feeling alright, father? You don't seem to be acting like yourself today."

"I feel great! I've never felt better! As a matter of fact, a little scavenger hunt is the perfect idea. I'm sure there's some more book lying around the palace, since your mother and Loki would always leave books in places without returning them. Actually, I think I saw some books on the North end. Shall we take a look?"

"Lead the way." Thor smiled.

As soon as Odin turned, Thor's smiled dropped. Something was definitely wrong. Very wrong. His father was never happy. Especially not after Frigga and Loki had died. Now he had two problems to get to the bottom of.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

When Steve and I arrived, we both went running inside. Sam's friends told us where to go and we were both there in seconds.

Steve froze when he saw Bucky. Piper immediately ran over to me and hugged me tight.

"Buck, do you remember me?" He said.

"Your mom's name was Sarah, and you used to wear newspaper in your shoes."

Steve huffed softly to himself. Bucky was back. At least a decent amount of him was.

"You're a wanted man." Steve said caring but firmly.

"I don't do that anymore." Bucky responded.

"Well the people that think you do are coming right now. And they're not planning on taking you alive."

Steve's words were engraved into my mind. I knew that finding Bucky solved one problem but led to another. Now we were going to be in trouble with the government. That's all we need.

Bucky looked down, knowing exactly what Steve meant.

"I wish I could take it all back."

"We can't change what you did, but we can clean up the mess that got left behind." Steve said as reassuring as possible.

There was a pause in the conversation as Bucky's gaze now fell on me.

"I recognize you." Bucky said, looking at me with a confused expression.

"I don't believe we've met." I replied.

He froze again, then locked his eyes with mine. "They ordered me to kill you."

I knew exactly what he meant. I was one of Hydra's targets. Well, old targets anyways.

"Why?" I asked.

"They said you were a threat. And a way to get to Steve."

Steve and I looked at each other, knowing exactly what he meant. We were each other's greatest weakness.

* * *

Steve and Sam stayed with Bucky while I took Piper back to Sam's house. I suddenly felt light headed, and I didn't need Steve worrying about me. He was upset about me coming anyways. I felt better knowing that he was there with Sam and a few other men, so he wasn't alone with Bucky. I could tell that Piper was uneasy and I figured it was best if I got her out of there.

I was washing my face in the bathroom when Piper knocked on the door softly.

"You can come in, it's just me." I chuckled.

"Alex?" She asked gently. Her face looked pale and I could tell she was tense.

"What's wrong?"

"I felt something, when I looked into Bucky's eyes."

"What do you mean?"

"I could feel what he was feeling. Like, I was-"

"Reading his mind?"

"No, not exactly, but, I could feel his emotions, and it was the most awful of feelings..." she trailed off.

"Have you ever felt like that before?"

"No. That's why I'm kinda freaking out here."

"Well, don't worry about it for tonight. If it happens again then we can be more worried. It's odd, but it wasn't life threatening either." I said. My head was throbbing now, the lightheaded feeling still present but being drowned out by the aches and pains. "I'm gonna lay down for a while, I don't feel right."

"Okay, I'm taking a quick shower. It might be four in the morning but I actually really want one. They calm me down."

I chuckled. "I know."

"Oh! And in the morning, we have to take a look at that crystal." Piper spoke up.

"Right! Okay. Research Day. And Thor is in Asgard trying to get answers now. We gave him one of Howard's old files."

"Why did he take it?"

"It was all about Sedir, but the entire thing was in Norse. So I gave it to Thor to read and, it didn't look good. His response didn't at least."

"Why do you think that Howard had a document in Norse anyways?"

"I don't know. That's what worries me."

* * *

_Stealth wasn't my best ability. But at least the invisibility helped with that._

_We all split up to tackle the massive shipyard we'd arrived at. We had to find that guy, the vibranium, figure out what the heck Ultron wanted it for, and get out._

_I slowly made my way across one of the raised metal walkways, making sure my boots didn't make any noise. I heard voices coming from nearby, and I began looking around to find the location of the sounds. I turned right and looked past a stack of crates to see something that scarred my mind forever._

_Ultron. In the flesh. He wasn't just an AI anymore._

_His metal vessel stood tall, a good seven or eight feet. His metal limbs were long, and powerful. I could only imagine the millions of gears whirring underneath the shiny metal coating._

_I suddenly found myself leaning too far out into the walkway to get a better look and my body fell with a small thump._

_All of them turned, the man we were after, Ultron, Wanda, and Pietro._

_I quickly fixed myself as quietly as possible._

_"Wanda, go and make sure we're alone." Ultron spoke._

_She nodded gently and began walking in my direction. I quickly jumped and pulled myself up onto a higher platform. She walked directly under me._

_After Wanda took a good lap around the area, she returned. "Secure. Must have been a rodent." She said, her accent thick._

_Ultron had continued to discuss business with the man while Wanda came searching for me, and I was able to tune in to the tail end of the conversation._

_"Finances, so weird. But I always say, keep your friends rich and your enemies rich and wait to find out which is which."_

_"Stark."_

_"What?" Ultron snipped._

_"Tony Stark used to say that, to me. You're one of his."_

_"What? I'm not-" Ultron grabbed the man's arm. His guard pulled out a gun, but Wanda used her energy to keep the weapon aimed down. "You think I'm one of Stark's puppets, his hollow men. I mean look at me, do I look like Iron Man? Stark is nothing!" And then Ultron sliced the man's arm off with one whip of his metal hand._

_I looked away for a second, disturbed by the sight. I'd seen nasty things, but that topped my list at this point in time._

_"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sure that's gonna be okay. I'm sorry. It's just that I don't understand...Don't compare me, with Stark!" Ultron shoved the man down the flight of stairs that was behind him._

_Just then I saw Tony and the rest coming in from behind, and I knew it was time to act._

_"Stark is, he's a sickness!"_

_"Oh junior, you're gonna break your old man's heart."_

_As they all exchanged some dialogue, I snuck up behind the Maximoff twins and Ultron. Just as Ultron's robots dropped and everyone started to fight, so did I._

_While the fight raged on, I noticed that Wanda began taking one after another member of my team down._

_I came across Steve who was lying across the ground, practically unconscious. "Steve, Steve wake up!" I pleaded._

_I felt Pietro rush by, and I quickly put up a force field around Steve and I. I saw Pietro stop and stare, rather shocked at what I'd done._

_"Sucks to suck, Dash!" I shouted._

_He quickly vanished, and I returned my focus to Steve. He was still breathing, but his facial expressions kept changing. Was he dreaming?_

_Moments later Clint showed, and I dropped the field._

_Clint and I had to get Nat, Thor and Steve back to the ship. Tony went after Ultron, and Bruce was MIA._

_"How's the rating for this mission?" He panted as he slung Steve over his shoulder._

_"It's at the bottom, but we've had worse, right?" I replied_

_He gave me a look._

_"Okay, new worst. Agreed."_

* * *

_ **First Person POV** _

I shot up bed, panting, my head throbbing. I felt my stomach churning, and my skin was on fire. I quickly jumped out of bed and darted into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I was expecting to lose my last meal, but instead I started coughing.

I held my head over the sink as my coughing fit continued. I could feel something coming up the back of my throat, and I was ready to taste the burn of stomach acid in my mouth, but instead, a warm, salty feeling washed over my tongue.

I slowly parted my lips and blood began to drip out of my mouth. I felt panic wake in my cloudy and insanely sore head as I spit out the rest of it. I turned the faucet on and washed it down the drain, holding my hair back and putting my mouth under the flow of water to get a drink. I rinsed my mouth three times before getting a fresh sip and swallowing.

Internal bleeding could be fatal. I needed to get help. Considering that I felt like crap wasn't a good sign either.

Piper knocked on the door softy before opening it.

"Alex, what's wrong?"

"Call Bruce, please." I said, my voice soft. My throat was burning like fire and I felt weak and clammy on top of everything else.

Piper didn't even question what had happened, she just knew that it was bad. She darted back into the bedroom and dialed Bruce's number immediately.

"Bruce? Yes, we need help now. It's Alex, something's wrong. Very wrong."

I slowly sank to the floor, my legs growing too weak to hold me up. Piper's voice got softer and softer as my eyes fluttered shut.


	10. Look Alive, Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title Credit: "Look Alive, Sunshine" by My Chemical Romance / Album: "Danger Days"

_**Third Person POV** _

Piper paced back and forth at the end of Alex's hospital bed. After she passed out Piper was able to get her to the medical ward. She called Steve's cell a total of eight times before he answered.

Alex was still asleep, Bruce said that she passed out from dehydration but Piper knew that couldn't be the answer.

The door creaked open to reveal Bruce who motioned for Piper's presence.

"So, what did the tests say?" Piper asked eagerly, walking over to him.

"You're going to think I'm crazy, but there's nothing completely uncommon. Yes it's rare for super-humans to get ill but the only thing I could find was a stomach flu. She passed out physically from dehydration. There were absolutely no signs of any blood loss, so I don't know what the coughing up blood was about. Are you sure that's what she said?"

"Yes! Right before she passed out, she kept pointing to her lips and saying that she was bleeding."

"Do you think she was hallucinating?" Bruce asked.

"I don't know. She kept complaining about her head hurting earlier that night, but, that's about it."

"How have the visions been?"

Piper shrugged. "She doesn't talk about them much. But I know they're not getting any better. I'm sure Steve will know more once he gets here."

They both fell silent for a moment.

"What do  _you_  think is wrong?" Piper spoke up.

Bruce sighed. "I honestly don't know. Something out of the ordinary for sure."

"Thor certainly didn't look pleased with whatever that document said."

"How long has Thor been gone anyways?"

"A while. But it's not like they have Verizon in Asgard."

"Well we need to get a hold of him. Between the visions and all of Alex's emotional distress, I feel that her body is responding negatively and that's why she's falling ill." Piper shot Bruce a confused look. "Stress is one of the hardest things the human body endures. And as much stress as she's under, I'm surprised her body hasn't done this before."

"Steve? Piper?"

Both Bruce and Piper froze before opening the door. Alex was awake.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

"Steve? Piper?" I called. My throat burned and a nasty taste lingered in my mouth.

"Alex, you're awake!" Piper breathed with relief as she walked up to my bedside.

"What happened?" I groaned, feeling the throbbing aches all over my body come back to life again. It only took me a second before I remembered what I saw. "Wait, am I okay? I was bleeding!"

Bruce and Piper exchanged a look.

"What's wrong? I started coughing, and then I was bleeding, and then I passed out. Is something wrong with me? Bruce?"

"It's actually the opposite. You had no signs of internal bleeding of any kind. I'm not sure what you saw but it certainly wasn't blood."

"But, I swear it was real! I felt it on my hands!"

"Alex, you only threw up. There wasn't any blood." Piper muttered.

"And you passed out from dehydration." Bruce added.

"That's impossible." I whispered, confused.

"I think you had a hallucination, Alex." Bruce said.

"But...that can't be! It all felt so real!"

"That's what hallucinations do...even the craziest of things can seem real to somebody."

"Okay, well why was I hallucinating?"

"My only guess so far is that it has something to do with your visions. Something's not right in your head and that's why you had the hallucination."

There was a long pause. I felt complete and utter fear wash over me.

"Am I going to be okay?"

Silence.

I felt the tears bubble in my eyes.

"Alex," Piper breathed.

"Am I going to be okay?!" I shouted.

There was no answer.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Alex cried for awhile, she cried herself to sleep in the hospital bed to be exact. Piper sat there and comforted her until she dozed off.

Steve finally arrived, and Piper stood to greet him. She put her finer to her lips to signal to be quiet, and she led him out into the hall.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, is she okay? What happened?"

"She was awake earlier. She cried herself back to sleep."

Steve's face turned as white as one of a ghost. "Why is she here in the first place, Piper?"

"She got really sick last night, and she told me that she swore she saw herself cough up blood before she passed out in the bathroom at Sam's place. But, according to Bruce, she hallucinated. She had a stomach flu and vomited normally. No internal bleeding. She passed out because of dehydration. Something's wrong with her Steve. Thor's looking for an answer right now."

"Is she going to be okay?" He asked, tears brimming his eyes.

"I don't know, Steve. I don't know." Piper replied, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

* * *

Sam sat in a chair across the room from where Bucky was pinned. He was on edge, fearing that Bucky could go crazy any second.

"You're tense." Bucky mumbled, his voice hoarse.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You're tense. I can tell. You're uncomfortable. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere with this magnet."

"Sorry, I guess it's my natural response being in the same room as a past assassin."

"I don't do that anymore." Bucky answered.

"I know, I'm well aware."

There was silence.

"Who were the girls earlier? The one was a target, and the other wasn't. She knew something, about me."

"Well, the target girl was Alex. She's Steve's wife."

"Oh."

"And the other girl was Piper. She's Alex's best friend. More like her sister. Why do you say she knows something about you?"

"She looked into my eyes, and I felt weird. I felt different. It's like she was reading me, but I've been trained to not let people read me. Nobody's been able to read me."

"Well, I guess you'll have to ask her about that."

"When will she be back?"

"I don't know. But you'll see her again. Don't worry about it."

Bucky nodded in response. Deep down, he missed that girl, Piper. He wanted to see her again. She was the only one in the room who wasn't afraid of him, tense or nervous. He missed her. Her presence called him down, and he longed to see her again.

* * *

Steve sat waiting for Alex to wake up. He sat looking down, his eyebrows furrowed. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap while his mind raced. He worried about Alex and what was wrong with her. If it was something that Thor had to look into, then he had every reason in the world to be worried. Piper was in the hallway on the phone with Sam. He tuned into what she was saying.

"What do you mean he said I was able to read him?"

"He said he felt you read his mind or something. I don't know, girlie. His eggs are still a little scrambled."

"Well I'm not going to hike back over there. Alex isn't doing well and I need to be here."

"I understand, I just figured you might want to know."

"Yeah yeah, thanks. Did you want to talk to Steve?"

"I don't know. That depends. How is he?"

"He doesn't look good."

"Well don't bother him. I'll talk to him when he gets the chance. Just tell him that everything's okay over here and he doesn't need to worry."

"Okay, thanks for calling, Sam."

"No problem. Hang tight, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Yeah, let's pray that she is."

Piper walked back into the room, Steve quickly looking back down when the door swung open.

"Hey, how's Sam?" Steve asked.

"Everything's fine. He meant it too. Apparently old Bucky wants to see me again."

"Really?" Steve replied.

"Yeah. Told Sam that I calmed him down."

"Huh, that's odd. But I'm not surprised. He got around if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I gotchya. Has she moved at all?" Piper asked.

"Nope, just steady breathing."

"Oh, Alex. I wish I could take it all away..." Piper muttered sorrowfully, rubbing her hand against the bottom end of the hospital bed gently.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

My eyes peeled open slowly, dry and weary.

Steve was immediately at my side. "Hey, shh, it's gonna be alright. How do you feel?"

"Better, actually. That nap really helped. How long was I out?"

Steve answered. "A while."

"At least six or seven hours."

"Wow..." I muttered. Reality came back to me and I remembered that I cried myself to sleep. "Has anybody heard from Thor?"

"Not yet. I don't think I can really text him either."

"Yeah, I guess we'll just have to hope for the best. I know he'll be back in due time."

"That nap really did do you good..." Piper snickered.

I chuckled in response. I then noticed that both Steve and Piper looked exhausted.

"What time is it? You guys look dead, go get some rest."

"It's ten in the morning. I got here around three." Steve said.

"Baby go get some rest, I'll be fine. You too, Piper, I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't want to leave you here all by yourself. Piper, you go rest, I'll be okay." Steve said.

"Are you sure?" Piper asked, yawning.

"I vote you both go get your rest. Piper don't let his puppy dog eyes fool you!"

"You go, Piper, I'm fine. You need your sleep."

Piper nodded, saying her goodbyes and then leaving.

"You should be going yourself, mister."

"I'm not going anywhere, woman." Steve responded.

Just then the door swung open and Bruce entered. "You're looking awful chipper for somebody who had such an episode less than 24 hours ago."

"I feel better, what'd you drug me with this time?"

"Nothing major, just some pain killer and fluids."

"Uh huh, sure." I replied.

"Nothing that's gonna kill you. We'll leave it at that. Steve, nice to see you." Bruce said.

"You too, Banner."

"How have you been holding up?"

"Fine, just worried about the wife." Steve responded.

"Yeah, and Bucky. Don't lie." I added.

"Bucky?" Bruce asked. "Did you get him?"

"Yeah, Sam's with him now actually."

"Well, congratulations I suppose? I don't really know how to reward someone for capturing their old best friend who's gone rogue."

"I don't think anyone does..." Steve chuckled.

Bruce shared a small laugh with Steve before turning to me again.

"Your vitals are normal, I think you're safe to leave the medical ward. Just don't go anywhere off-base, okay? You're better, but not a hundred percent yet."

"Sounds like a plan!" I chirped.

"Before you go, Piper said something about a blood test?"

"Yeah, um, we have suspicions that Tony and I might be related." I muttered. I saw Steve tense out of the corner of my eye. "I was just wondering if you could compare blood samples?"

"Yeah, sure thing. I'll get yours and then get Tony's if I can get him to agree to it."

After Bruce took my blood, he unhooked the IVs from me and Steve set a pair of clean clothes for me on the bed. They went out into the hall while I changed.

"Just make sure you don't leave her unattended. Either you or Piper should stay with her at all times."

"Do you have any idea what's going on? Anything?"

"It's certainly something that's not human, that's for sure. Physically, her health is perfect. It's something beyond the mortal world, I know it is. I've never seen anything like this before." Bruce replied softly.

"Is there anything we can do?" Steve asked.

"Wait for Thor, keep her under surveillance in case she loses consciousness again, keep her hydrated and well fed. That's all I can say. Lot's of rest seems to be doing her good too. Like, twelve to fifteen hours a lot."

"That's not normal, Bruce."

"I know but if it's improving her mental condition by this much every time, we're just gonna have to go with it until we can solve the problem at hand."

* * *

Steve and I went back to our apartment and both crashed on the bed. He fell asleep long before I drifted off again, but I figured more sleep wouldn't hurt if that was all I really wanted to do.

_"Where are we going?" I finally broke the silence that had fallen over the jet's cabin._

_"Someplace safe. We'll be there soon." Clint responded._

_Within the next 30 minutes, all of us were walking up to a small, innocent white house surrounded by farm land. Turns out the place was Clint's. Who had a wife, and kids._

_Later that night, dinner at Clint's farm was interesting. Fury popped up out of nowhere, again. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the mass group of superheroes crammed in a small, normal kitchen eating dinner like a normal family would. Nat colored with the kids, and I smiled at the sight._

_The topic of solving the task at hand came up after a while. Ultron wanted a body, a real body, and the team knew exactly where he'd find that._

_We set out to find Dr. Cho and the regeneration cradle almost immediately, and we arrived to an ugly sight._

_Steve and I found Dr. Cho injured, the cradle missing along with Ultron._

_"He's uploading himself into the body. The real power is inside the cradle, the gem. It's power is unobtainable, you can't just blow it up. You have to get the cradle to Stark."_

_"First we have to find it." Steve said._

_"Go."_

_"You guys copy that?" Steve asked over the intercom._

_Nat and Clint were searching overhead in the quinjet, and Clint noticed a truck from the lab right above Steve and I on the loop by the bridge._

_"You stay here." I said._

_"What? No way, you're crazy." Steve answered._

_"I'll draw out Ultron, you get her help."_

_"Alex-"_

_I cut Steve off with a kiss._

_"Go, now." I said before taking off._

_"Go with her, Ill be fine." Dr. Cho panted. Steve chased after me. "You guys are cute!" She called._

_"Did you two kiss again? Gross." Clint muttered over the intercom._

_"Hey, you don't have room to talk mister 'I have a wife and didn't tell any of you'."_

_"Touche." He responded._

_Steve and I distracted Ultron while Nat worked on getting the cradle itself._

_"You make me sick. Beasts like you should never live happily ever after." Ultron snapped, throwing a fist at me but missing._

_"You're calling us the beasts?" Steve shouted, throwing his shield._

_I turned invisible, and made my way behind Ultron._

_"Have you looked in a mirror, hot shot?" I said, seconds before blasting him the back. It was fun fighting with Steve. We fought better together._

_Ultron spun around and grabbed my throat, lifting me off the ground. My hands pried at his metal ones on my neck as I gasped for air. "You're abilities intrigue me. Too bad you're just like me. Another creation of Stark's gone rogue."_

_Just then Steve took him out, and I dropped to the floor, gasping and coughing like a fish out of water. His words plagued me. What did he mean that I was one of Stark's?_

_Steve and I's distracting worked, especially after Wanda and Pietro came to help._

_After stopping the fast moving train and saving civilians, we headed out to get to Tony and the cradle. Nat was MIA, and it seemed like the team was falling apart more and more everyday._

_We arrived to an uglier sight than before when we saw Bruce and Tony fiddling with the cradle to make it work, not shutting it down._

_After a massive team-based argument, Thor swooped in to make matters worse. He fried the cradle with lightening, only to release it's creation. It appeared human, but was not. It could fly._

_"I'm sorry that was, odd. Thank you." It said._

_"Thor, you helped create this?" Steve asked._

_"I've had a vision, a whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and it's center, that." He replied, pointing the gem in the middle of the thing's head._

_Bruce chimed in, "What, the gem?"_

_"It's the mind stone. One of the six infinity stones, the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in it's destructive capabilities." Thor said._

_"Then why would you bring it to-" Steve began._

_"Stark is right." Thor interrupted._

_"Oh it's definitely the end times..." Bruce muttered._

_Thor continued, "The Avengers can't defeat Ultron."_

_"Not alone." It said._

_"Why does your vision sound like JARVIS?" Steve asked._

_"We configured JARVIS's matrix," Tony said, "To create something new."_

_"I think I've had my fill of new." Steve added._

_The conversation carried on, and the thing became known as the Vision to us. He was on our side. He could even lift the Mjölnir._

_It was time to fight Ultron, and end this once and for all._

My eyes shot open. I remembered. The stones I was seeing in my visions. That was one of them.

"Another creation of Stark's gone rouge." Those words. I never understood those words until now. Howard's journal. Howard and my mother. I needed to get to the bottom of this, now.

7:06pm. Time to wake up Piper.

I made myself decent as quickly as I could, and left a small note for Steve on my pillow.

_Headed over to figure out some answers with Piper in her apartment. I'm not far, no need to worry. Come over when you wake up. Love you lots, Alex_

* * *

I knocked on Piper's door softly at first, hoping she was already awake.

No answer.

"Great, Piper." I huffed. I knocked a little louder. Still no answer.

Suddenly I heard movement from the other side of the door. "Piper?" I called.

"One sec!" She called back before yawning rather loudly.

The door swung open, revealing Piper in her tiredest state yet.

"How was your hibernation?" I asked, chuckling.

"Good, yours?"

"I've been sleeping all day. Which is why we need to look at the pages and crystal, now."

"Oh boy, I'm scared." Piper said, moving out of the way as I barged into her room.

"Where is it? I want to see it!"

"Okay okay, geesh! Bossy much?"

"Sorry! It's important, kind of life or death here?"

Piper went into her closet and brought out a little box that she had put the journal pages and crystal in.

The moment my fingers touched the crystal, I felt different. I could feel something coursing through me, and it didn't feel right.

I dropped the crystal, and felt a headache coming on. "Yeah, that crystal has something to do with it."

"Well what did your day of sleeping have to do with this stuff?"

"I remembered something Ultron said, during that whole fiasco. The day we stole the cradle back from him. He told me I was another creation of Stark's that's gone rogue."

"What do you think that means?"

"If these journal pages are saying what I think they are, then Howard Stark is my real father."

"Aren't their more journal pages missing? What if they have more answers?" Piper asked as I stood abruptly.

"I think we know enough, Piper. We don't time to look for those things. I'm not getting any better, and-" I trailed off, plopping down on the mattress.

"Alex! What's wrong?!"

"I'm lightheaded again, this is getting ridiculous."

"Just lay down, and I'll get help."

"No, I don't need help, I just need-" I was stopped by a yawn erupting from my throat.

"You need, that?"

"I'm just so tired..." I trailed off, falling into a deep sleep.

"Right. Not good." Piper muttered, picking up the papers and putting them back in the box with the crystal. She slid the box under her bed and called for Bruce.

_**Third Person POV** _

"She's just sleeping, Piper. You said she just got lightheaded and fell asleep?"

"Yes! She just kind of collapsed and fell asleep. There's no other away to explain it."

"Well, just keep an eye on her. Where's Steve."

"Still sleeping." Piper sighed.

"Of course. You say here with her, and I'm going to get working on the blood samples."

"You got Tony's?"

"Surprisingly. He just left. He stopped by and didn't seem to have a problem with it. Anything to put Alex at ease, that's what he said. He was awful jittery though, wanted to leave before bumping into to Steve."

"Those two fight like it's their job, that's nothing knew."

"Right. Just call if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing. Thanks, Bruce!"

"No problem."

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

My eyes peeled open again, to reveal Piper and Steve sitting at the bedside.

"Good morning," I mumbled, voice hoarse.

"It's nine at night." Piper chuckled.

"You know what I meant."

"How do you feel?" Steve asked, helping me sit up.

"Better?" I mumbled. "I don't know, sleep helps but not by a lot. It's more of escaping the lightheaded feeling than actual sleep."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Bruce.

"You guys might want to come see this."

He led us to one of his labs in the medical ward.

"These are the blood test results. I wanted you to see them for yourself."

My eyes skimmed the page, and I felt my heart sink at the sight.

"Howard Stark was my biological father?"

Bruce nodded.

I saw Steve's jaw clench, and Piper's body language become very awkward and unsettled.

"Great. I'm related to Tony Stark." I breathed.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Meanwhile in Asgard, Odin took Thor to Frigga's private library that was in their wing of the palace.

"Father, are you sure it's okay that I go through her books?"

"We don't need to go through anything. I know exactly which book you're going to need. It's going to be in Section D, shelf number 183."

"Wow, you really keep tabs on the place don't you?"

"Well after your mother passed away I felt that it was my duty to ensure all of her belongings were well kept."

Thor nodded.

"I'll be right back. I believe I know where I can find more answers."

"Take your time, I'll find the book." Thor said, smiling to cover his concern.

Odin walked out, and Thor's mind raced. What in the name of the nine realms was going on with his father?

Odin vanished from the library, and the private wing completely. He walked down the massive halls of the palace until he reached the throne room. With the grin of a mad man plastered across his face, he closed every door tightly with just the snap of his fingers. No guards were anywhere to be seen. The throne slid back with just a gaze from the king, and he walked up to it rather majestically. With the royal seat out of the way, a small door carved into the marble floor was revealed. He opened it with the flick of his wrist and began to descend into the tunnel beneath it. Once at the bottom of the ladder, he jumped onto the ground. His landing echoed through the dark halls of the secret location. "Time to pay the old man a visit." He grinned, his form practically melting away with the blink of an eye and transforming into none other than the adopted son himself. His long, black hair was still slicked back, and his teeth flashed white in the dim light of the torches off the cement walls. Loki walked down the tunnels with pride, until he reached the gated entrance to the dungeon. The door swung open with his telepathic consent, to reveal none other than the real Odin himself.

"Oh great, you're back, I was getting worried."

"I like your sense of sarcasm, I think it's gotten much more improved with you being down here. Alone. All day and night."

"End this madness, son, it's not-"

"I am not your son!" Loki's voice boomed, echoing around them.

"What do you want from me?!" Odin fired back.

"I want to know more about Sedir. Thor's waiting for an answer upstairs. He claims that one of his midgardian friends may have a curse involving the old magic. I've read the books. I know you know something about it."

Odin fell silent.

"Ah, the old silent  _yes_."

"You can't make me say a word."

"Actually, I can make you say anything I want. Those cuffs around your wrists prevent you from using any magic at all. It's almost as if you were a mortal."

Loki snapped his right hand, and Odin began talking immediately. His lips kept moving, and his body tried to make them stop, but it was no use.

"It all began with Howard Stark. He told me it was for the greater good. It was really only for his own selfish desires. We made a deal. He used Sedir and I got payed in rare currency for it. He changed the destiny of a woman named Lucy Cooper, so that they would conceive a daughter named Alex who would someday meet his creation of Captain America and they would fall in love and have a child to combine the two superhuman genes and create an ultimate gene. After the business had been taken care of, Howard tried to steal the legendary Sedir crystal for himself. The crystal is what wields the power of the only remaining Sedir known all throughout the galaxy. In the midst of the fight to try and get the crystal back from him, the crystal was smashed into to shards. He escaped with a single shard. The power was lost. As revenge to ruin his plan, I cast a curse on the daughter the moment she was conceived. The curse haunts the victim with horrible visions until they lose their mind, become very ill, fall into a coma and die. It's old Norse."

"And where is this Alex now?"

"Midgard. Upstate New York. I can sense the curse. She's not far from her death." Odin spit out, almost monotone.

"Ah, and if one were to assemble this crystal again, they could use the powers of Sedir that had been lost to the masses?"

"Yes."

"Where are these other crystal shards?"

"I've reassembled the remaining shards except for the one in Midgard. There's a secret compartment in your mother's jewelry cabinet in our room."

"Thank you for your cooperation." Loki grinned madly, before turning back into 'Odin'.

"Don't do it, Loki!" Odin shouted, control over is own voice returning to him.

He chuckled, words falling off his lips like silk, "I do what I want."

* * *

Loki, "Odin", returned to Thor in the library, who had found two more books on Sedir.

"Father, there you are! Where have you been?"

"None of that matters. I have your answers. You must bring Alex here. She's suffering from a horrible curse."

"How did she get cursed in the first place?!"

"I haven't gotten the slightest idea. But I know what curse it is, and I can fix it. I just need you to bring her here. And she must bring me the crystal shard she has."

"Where did you go that got you all of these answers?"

"It's a secret, but I'll show you." Odin-Loki muttered quietly. Loki quickly made piles of books appear on a table around the corner, random books about the curse he was telling Thor about.

Thor read through the books quickly and believed every single word Loki had told him.

"I'll return to Midgard and retrieve her."

"Please, hurry, I don't know how much time she has left. Be fast, my son. I believe in you."

Thor was gone within seconds.

"Idiot." Loki muttered upon his disappearance.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

Piper, Steve and I were walking back to the apartment when suddenly Thor came running up to us in the hallway.

"Thor!" I shouted, darting towards him.

"Lady Alex, I must take you to Asgard. My father has answers."

"She's in no condition to travel that far. She can barely make it around the corner!" Steve protested.

"She's cursed. It's a long story. I'll tell you along the way."

"No." Steve boomed. "She's not going anywhere until you tell us what you know."

"Steve," I muttered. "Calm down."

"There's no trouble. We just need to go somewhere more private to have this conversation." Thor said quietly.

We went to Steve and I's apartment, and I made sure every last intercom and electronic was disabled before we started talking. The four of us sat in a circle on the floor.

"This is so cool! We're like in a story telling circle!" Piper said cheerfully.

I elbowed her and she apologized, looking down.

"Odin says that Alex must come to Asgard with the crystal shard to be cured of this curse."

"So it is a curse?" I asked.

"Yes. An old Norse curse."

"How did she get it?" Steve asked.

"He didn't directly say. Sedir has been used by you or on you in the past, and this curse is some kind of result of it."

"I didn't even know what Sedir was until all of this happened, but I can feel some kind of connection to it."

"Did he say anything about why Howard Stark knew about it?"

"No." Thor answered.

"This doesn't add up. Odin knows you have a curse because of Sedir, and we know that Howard is your real father-" Piper began.

"Wait, what?" Thor muttered.

"Surprise!" I shouted.

"-If anything Howard used the Sedir to give you your powers." Piper finished.

"How would he do that? Curse my mom?" I asked.

"I don't know I'm spitting out ideas here!"

Thor continued, "Howard never saw you once you were born, correct?"

"Nope. My mother never mentioned him once to me. She told me she was attacked and that's how I was conceived."

"She was hiding something. She knew something." Steve chimed in.

"The journal pages said she didn't approve of his 'plan'." Piper said.

"We never found out what his plan was, we never found the other pages." I said.

"That's why I believe you need to come to Asgard with me. My father has answers. He among my mother are the only two who mastered Sedir long ago."

"I read that in a book somewhere." I added, looking at Steve. "This is life or death. I have to go."

"One of us has to come with you." Steve said.

"I'll go." Piper said.

We all turned and looked at her.

"Nobody knows who I am, I can use that to an advantage if I have to."

"She's got a point, many of the Asgardians would recognize Captain America strolling into town."

Silence.

"Okay, okay." Steve caved in.

"We leave as soon as possible." Thor said.

"Thor, let's uh, talk in the hall for a second, yeah?" Piper muttered, standing and leading him out of the room.

"Honey-" I began, getting cut off by a kiss.

Steve and I kissed passionately for what felt like forever until I finally pulled away in desperate need of air.

"Promise me you'll come back." Steve muttered, tears brimming his eyes.

"I will, baby. I promise." I said, tears forming in my own eyes.

I wrapped my arms around him, and we both cried, holding each other tightly.

"You're my world, Alex. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"And you're mine." My voice cracked. "You saved me, Steve." We looked into each other's eyes. "And I love you so much."

We kissed again before breaking our embrace apart and standing. "It's time." I breathed, wiping the tears off my cheeks.

Steve held the sides of my head with his hands and kissed my forehead gently before pulling me into one last embrace before we departed.

The four of us walked out to the field together.

I had the crystal around my neck, the feeling almost sensational. I was so lightheaded, it felt like I was dreaming.

Piper and I hugged each other tightly as Thor wrapped his large around us. I felt the wind instantly as he began whirring his hammer around to pick up speed.

The next thing I knew, the ground was no longer below my feet and everything was moving so fast I couldn't make out what was going on.


	11. The Weight of the World on Our Shoulders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is the first part of the ending chapter, here's a summary of what's happened recently in the story just to clarify:
> 
> They got a lead on Bucky. Piper and Alex found all of Howard Stark's journal pages and all of the case files, including the one about Seidr. Howard logged some interesting facts in his journal, mainly those about his affair with Alex's mother (Lucy). Lucy had worked with Howard first, and that was how she got her powers. She left Howard to make the robots with Dexter, who went after Alex in the first installment because of her special abilities. Tony and Alex found out that they indeed are related.
> 
> Alex's symptoms are getting worse. Her visions are still going on, replaying everything that happened during the Ultron era. Her last vision was about the team coming together to fight Ultron (the scene where the Vision was created). At Sam's house, Alex had a hallucination that she was coughing up blood, and her visions about the stones, and the purple man on his large throne (who Thor identified as Thanos). Her physical health continues to get worse as well. Later she brought the information about Seidr to Thor, who went back to Asgard to get help.
> 
> Meanwhile in Asgard, Thor thinks he's receiving help from his father. Loki is behind the wheel on that one, with the real Odin trapped in a secret dungeon. Odin confesses the Seidr curse to Loki: "It all began with Howard Stark. He told me it was for the greater good. It was really only for his own selfish desires. We made a deal. He used Seidr and I got payed in rare currency for it. He changed the destiny of a woman named Lucy Cooper, so that they would conceive a daughter named Alex who would someday meet his creation of Captain America and they would fall in love and have a child to combine the two superhuman genes and create an ultimate gene. After the business had been taken care of, Howard tried to steal the legendary Seidr crystal for himself. The crystal is what wields the power of the only remaining Seidr known all throughout the galaxy. In the midst of the fight to try and get the crystal back from him, the crystal was smashed into to shards. He escaped with a single shard. The power was lost. As revenge to ruin his plan, I cast a curse on the daughter the moment she was conceived. The curse haunts the victim with horrible visions until they lose their mind, become very ill, fall into a coma and die. It's old Norse."
> 
> On the side, Piper was having some interest in Sam Wilson, until she was in the same room as Bucky Barnes that is. She didn't exchange hardly any words with Bucky, but she felt a strong connection with him. A connection that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
> 
> At the end of the previous chapter: Alex, Piper, and Thor just left for Asgard.

_People were leaving the city left and right, but we still weren't moving fast enough._

_Wanda was using her telekinesis, Steve was directing traffic, Pietro was running around like a mad man. I was helping with escorting people, having to use force fields every now and then to stop cars from running over pedestrians._

_Many people got out, but not enough._

_The next thing I knew, Ultron's robots were crawling out of every crevice._

_We all ran to the church. We couldn't let the city go up in the air._

_The fight waged on, and it was horrid. Each robot I beheaded gave me chills. Their glowing red eyes looked exactly like those of Ultron. They went straight to your bones and didn't stop there. One of them attacked me from behind, giving the one in front the chance to shove me against one of the concrete walls. I shrieked, feeling my throat begin to constrict under the force of cold metal hands. Red glowing eyes stared into mine, and Ultron's voice came through the speaker of the robot. "You're making a mistake. You could've joined me."_

_"Never." I choked out._

_"Such a shame. Such power put to waste, and for what? Lives? Please. Humans are nothing. You are nothing."_

_Anger coursed through my veins, and I felt energy begin to build in my fists. My vision began to blur as the cold hands around my throat got even tighter, my lungs burning. I used my last breath to it's advantage._

_"Hasta la vista, bub." The energy in my hands exploded and both robots and many of those in the perimeter around me were perished. I stood, panting heavily, ready for the next wave._

_All of a sudden, the ground began to shake, and I looked over to see a single robot that had activated the switch. We all froze. We were headed to the sky._

_Hundreds of people were still in the city, but it was too late._

_The next thing we knew, the city was thousands of feet in the air and climbing._

_Every minute seemed to make the chances of survival smaller and smaller. Tony got the idea to blow up the rising piece of Earth, that way the impact wouldn't destroy the planet. But Steve wouldn't have it. Every life mattered to him._

_"We're not leaving this rock with one civilian on it." Steve said._

_"I didn't say we should leave." Natasha replied. Steve shot her a look. I observed how calm she seemed about the situation. "There's worse ways to go." She paused, looking out at the clouds surrounding us. "Where else am I going to get a view like this?"_

_A familiar voice then interrupted the silence. "I'm glad you like the view, Romanoff, because it's about to get better."_

_The helicarrier, Fury, Agent Hill, SHIELD._

_We began loading the people onto the boats, maybe there was hope after all._

_Everyone split up, making sure all of the people were loaded onto the boats. The team included._

_Everything seemed set, and then Clint went to rescue the little boy._

_Ultron was flying overhead in a quinjet, shooting everything in his path. Clint was holding the boy tightly, watching the rapidly flying bullets approaching quickly, ready to embrace his death as a hero._

_And then something flew by him._

_Everything was quiet._

_I watched in pure horror from the boat._

_His body stood unsteady for a moment, blood soaking through all of the wounds staining his shirt, and then he fell to the ground._

_Pietro._

_I swallowed my scream, sprinting over to Clint as fast as I could. Steve arrived only seconds after I did. My heart sank at the sight before me, but yet I could not cry. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the little boy coming to, and he looked at Pietro, confused. I quickly ran over to him and picked him up in my arms. I held his head close, not wanting him to be scarred by Pietro's motionless body._

_Steve picked up Pietro, and Clint insisted I hand the boy to him. He saw that I was weak from the fight. So I did._

_We got on the boat just in time._

_The city fell, and it was broken into pieces just in time for the impact to not damage the Earth below._

* * *

I opened my eyes, and it took them a minute to adjust. We were in a large spherical room, the ceiling made from glass frames. I could see billions of stars and colorful bursts all around. There was a small golden perch like structure, a man in golden armor standing atop it.

"Thor, you did not mention such a quick return, let alone with guests."

"Heimdall, these two women are nothing more than my friends. Lady Alex has fallen very ill, and we are seeking help."

The guy with the name of Heimdall looked down at us, his golden eyes staring deep into mine before looking into Piper's.

"This is Alex, and her good friend Piper. Alex, Piper, this is Heimdall, guardian of the Bifrost, brother of Lady Sif."

"Sir," I muttered out, my voice weak. I attempted to do somewhat of a curtsy to show respect, but I quickly lost my balance. My head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

"She needs help. Now." Thor said, catching me. He quickly picked me up bridal style, and my head fell against his chest.

"I-I can walk, you don't have to-"

"You're in no shape. Let me help you." He muttered as he began walking, Piper right by his side.

Heimdall let us into Asgard, and wished us the best of luck and a safe recovery.

Just as my eyes caught a glimpse of the golden Asgardian kingdom in all it's glory, they fluttered shut.

* * *

_ **Third Person POV** _

Sam paced back and forth by the door.

"You're anxious. Mind telling me why?" Bucky spoke up.

"I'm just waiting. That's all."

"Yeah, anxiously waiting."

Sam shot Bucky a look.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"You know, you guys are all for helping me and making me better, and I'm thankful. But keeping secrets from me isn't going to establish anything."

Sam sighed. "I'm just waiting for Steve. There, you happy?"

"Whatever." Bucky mumbled.

Sam shot him another look. The guy might have been though the unimaginable, but he was getting on Sam's nerves. Fast. Just then, Sam looked over at the door to see Steve standing there.

"I'm here."

Sam slid out of the way, motioning to Bucky. "He's all yours."

Steve walked over to Bucky, and sat on the floor next to him. "How do you feel?"

"That's a stupid question." Bucky chuckled.

"I should say, how do you feel about trusting us?"

"Fine, I guess. Bird man over here's been keeping quite a few secrets."

"Bird man?" Sam snapped, offended. Steve glared at Sam, telling him to shut up.

"That won't be happening anymore. Promise." Steve said.

The room until Bucky spoke up. "Hey Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm with you until the end of the line."

"I'm with you until the end of the line too, pal."

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

I awoke to a massive room, the ceiling almost a million miles away. I was on what was possibly one of the softest beds I've ever laid on. Piper was by my side, reading a book.

"Piper?" I asked.

"Thank God, you're up. Do you feel any better?"

"I feel fine, but we both know that won't last for long."

A wave of fear washed over me, and I reached up to feel my collar bone. The crystal, it was gone. I gasped audibly, causing Piper to look over at me.

"Hey, don't worry, I've got it." She said, pulling the chain out of her shirt.

"Why are you wearing it?"

"I think it's pretty clear that the thing is only making your fainting worse. It doesn't affect me. I'll keep it on, okay? It's not going anywhere. We can't get you help if you're unconscious."

"Where's Thor?"

"He said he was going to get his father-"

Thor burst in the room. He looked at me, and grinned slightly. "It's time."

* * *

We walked up to Odin rather slowly, who sitting with poise in his large golden throne. The room was massive, and each pillar seemed to be the size of a small building to me. I'd never seen anything built so large before in my entire life.

Something didn't feel right.

This didn't feel like the answer.

I felt something.

A power.

A force.

Evil.

"No." I gasped, locking my feet to the floor.

Thor stopped. "What's wrong?"

"Him." I said weakly.

"Alex," Thor said. "He is going to help you, there's no need to be afraid."

"It just doesn't feel right."

Thor looked up at Odin, who was grinning madly.

"Oh, I was afraid she'd say that."

"Father?" Thor questioned, staring at Odin intently.

Odin snickered. "My son, you've always been a thorn in my side."

Thor's brows furrowed as he kept his gaze. "What are you talking about?"

"You've always been better than me..." Odin began to glow, the light getting brighter and brighter until it faded away to reveal another figure. "Brother."

Piper gasped and took a step back, Thor doing the same.

"You were dead! We thought you were dead!" Thor shouted. I stared at Loki with hatred, but fear still coursed through me.

"They always loved you more than me! You were always their favorite, Daddy's little champ, Mommy's little helper, and what was I? That blasted smudge that was always in the way of things! I tried to prove to you all that I could be better, but what happens? You and your bloody friends take me down!"

"We worked together! You helped save Jane!"

"And I faked my death, again. I knew it was the only way I'd ever get my hands on power again."

"Why are you so worried about power? You have people that love you, that's all you need!"

Loki scoffed. "Who? Mother is gone. Father has always hated me."

"I love you. You're my brother." Thor replied.

"Love is for the weak."

"No, it is for the strong. I've learned that if you have even only one other who loves you, you don't need anything else. Nothing else matters in the end."

The room fell silent. Thor was right. Loki knew he was right, but certainly wouldn't admit to it anytime soon.

"Can you help her, or not?" Thor spoke up.

Loki looked at Thor in disbelief, before he broke out into laughter. "Yes, I can. She just needs to give me one little thing." He stood, and slowly walked towards us as he continued speaking. "Where's the crystal?"

Piper swallowed deeply, taking a step back. I immediately stepped back with her. Loki's eyes locked on ours, and he grinned.

"Ladies? May I?" He said, slowly stepping closer. We both continued to step backwards slowly. Thor jumped in front of us.

"You're not getting near either one of them."

"Why ever not? Thor you should know that it's rude to not greet a woman properly. I thought you were a gentlemen."

Thor gave him a look.

Loki looked into my eyes over Thor's shoulder. His eyes were green, a beautiful green at that. But I knew that behind those deceiving eyes laid the mind of a mad man. "Ah, the captain's wife. I knew I recognized that face. I didn't know that your name was Alex. It's nice to finally meet you."

"I don't believe I can say that same to you." I retorted.

He chuckled. "Why not?"

"I think we both know."

He then looked at Piper.

"Well aren't you just divine. What's your name, darling?" He paused. "Wait, don't tell me. It's, Piper Williamson?"

Piper gasped, stepping back. "How did you know that?"

"I'm a god. What else is new."

"Are you going to help me, or not?"

"Yes, we've already been through this! I just need the little shard and you'll be better in no time."

"How can we trust you?" Piper spoke up.

Loki began to laugh deviously before answering. "You can't."

Suddenly Loki appeared in every corner of the room. Piper gasped and tried to run for the door, but she was stopped by one of them. He picked her up by her throat. I quickly tried to stop him, but they had Thor and I under constraints in seconds.

The real Loki walked towards Piper, and ripped the necklace chain with the crystal off of her neck with ease.

"I wish I'd known about this little beauty years ago. The universe would've already been mine." Loki chuckled.

"You're better than this!" Thor shouted. "Brother, look at me. You don't have to do this."

"But I want to."

Loki proceeded to break the thin chain from around Piper's neck with one yank. He wrapped the chain in between his pale fingers as he raised it closer to his eyes for a better look.

"Such a beautiful little gem. Very powerful too. It's a shame that it's been useless for all of these years."

"Let her go!" I shouted. Piper's face was turning bright red and she was gasping harder for air every second.

Piper was dropped to the floor and began coughing and gasping for air immediately.

I felt something hot in my hands, and I haven't even realized that I'd made tight fists that were building up fields in my grasp. I opened up my hands behind me, blowing away the one particular Loki that had me contained.

That's when the fight started. I began throwing fields every chance I got. I helped Thor get free, and he summoned the Mjölnir in seconds. I kicked, punched, scratched, did anything and everything to keep them back before blowing them away with a field.

Suddenly I heard a blood curdling scream from behind me. "Alex, look out!"

I spun around to see a glowing red object flying through the air directly towards me. Suddenly, Piper was the only thing in my sight. The object imploded, it's glow illuminating even brighter. Piper's skin quickly became fried instantly, and she fell to the ground. Red was coursing through her veins and she become motionless. Her skin appeared similar to that of charcoal.

I felt a huge hole form in my chest, as if my heart had just been ripped out. I looked up at Loki, who was looking down at what he'd just done.

My muscles became so tense they began to ache, tears pooled in glowing red eyes, and my skin illuminated. I wanted to yell at him, scream until my lungs gave out. Tell him how much I hated him, how much I wanted to rip his heart out. But everything came out as one big scream as I unleashed my anger upon him. A bright red force field exploded from my body, leaving cracks in the pillars and knocking Thor and Loki over.

My fields were normally the color of violet.

I tried to run after Loki, but he vanished. Along with the crystal.

I felt my body cool, my muscles ease, and I fell to my knees at Piper's side. Tears streamed down my face, and heavy sobs racked my body. I could still make out her face, but I couldn't keep my eyes on her. It all hurt too much.

"Piper," I whimpered. "It's gonna be okay." I ran my fingers along her arm, and it felt like I was running my fingers down the side of a tree. Crusty, hard, rough...burnt. "You're gonna be okay, everything's gonna be okay." I sobbed.

Thor came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Alex, we need to go. He's going to get the other crystals and-"

"No! We can't just leave her here!" I screamed, my eyes flaming bright through the tears.

He sighed softly, getting down on his knees next to me.

"She's not gone, tell me she's not gone!" I looked up at Thor, who now had tears in his own eyes.

"I'm sorry, she's gone." He muttered, pulling me into an embrace. My body lungs began to spasm for air as I continued to sob. "That was aether that he threw at her. There's no way she could've survived."

"She saved me." I chocked out. "This is all my fault."

"Alex,"

"No! This is all my fault!" I screamed.

The room fell silent besides the sobs erupting from my throat. My lungs continued to pulse, my breaths short and panicked.

"Go."

"What?" Thor muttered.

"You have to go stop him. Go, now." I chocked out.

"I can't leave-"

"I'll catch up! Stop him before he changes everything!"

Thor quickly planted a kiss to my palm before running off.

After about ten minutes, my breathing had finally calmed. I wiped a few final tears from my eyes before I looked down at Piper again. The pain was indescribable. My head ached, like a bullet had been plunged into my brain. My chest felt empty. The room seemed to be spinning and I didn't want to do anything besides curl up in a ball and go to sleep and pretend none of it had actually happened. But I knew I had to face the truth. It had happened. It was over, Piper was dead.

I felt a few more tears brim my eyes, when I noticed something. The glowing red fluid outlining Piper's body slowly disappeared into her burnt skin. My brows furrowed in confusion, as I leaned in a little closer to observe. I watched the skin on her arm as it began to fade back to a normal color, and then looked up to see the rest of her skin doing the same.

"Piper?" I whispered.

Her eyes shot open and she gasped for air.

"Piper!" I cried, helping her sit up before wrapping her in a hug. "What happened?! You were dead!"

"No I wasn't, I was dreaming."

"What do you mean? I saw you! You were exposed to aether, you weren't breathing!"

"I just remember being hit with something, and then I felt really warm, and then, I saw these stones. There were six of them. And, a really big purple guy."

"You saw him too?"

All of a sudden, a deep rumbling crept it's way through the room. It magnified until the entire room was shaking.

"What's happening?!" Piper shouted, clinging to my side.

"I don't know!"

Suddenly, a wave of light washed over the entire room, including Piper and I. After it was gone, everything looked different. The rumbling ceased, and there wasn't a sound to be heard.

"Why is it so dark outside?" Piper asked.

We exchanged looks of concern before getting up and walking over to the nearest window.

The galaxy bound skies were hidden by grey clouds, and every Asgardian was walking with their head down. Some were chained by leads to fences and poles, others were walking freely but handcuffs still clung to their wrists.

"I think Loki used the crystal."

"Did he get away?" Piper asked.

"Yes! After he killed you! He reassembled the crystal, and now he rules Asgard. He changed his own destiny."

"How are we going to get out of here? He's got guards posted everywhere." Piper froze. "Wait, where's Thor?"

"He went go stop Lok-" I suddenly felt pain return to my head, and I began to feel lightheaded again. "Ow, oh no not again." I panted.

"What's wrong?"

"The curse isn't getting any better." I muttered, holding my head in my hands.

"Here, let me help." Piper said.

"What?" I asked. I looked up to see her putting my hand on my forehead. "Piper what are you-"

Suddenly her hand became warm. A comforting warm. A small glow illuminated from her palm and then all of my pain was gone. I no longer felt lightheaded or dizzy.

"Did you just heal me?"

"I didn't get rid of the curse, but I did something."

"Piper, do you have powers now?"

"No, why would I have powers?" She shrugged.

"How did you do that then?!" I cried excitedly.

"I don't know! We'll figure that out later! Right now we need to find Thor."

"Wait," Piper froze. She closed her eyes and focused on something. "He's that way." She said, pointing west.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I can see him, in my mind. He's in a dungeon..." She trailed off, closing her eyes again. "Odin's there too! Like, the real one!"

I stared at her, my mouth agape. Without words, Piper darted over to the throne and got down in the floor in front of it. She started knocking on the floor. On her third knock there was a hollow echo directly below the throne.

"Yes! The way to the dungeon's down here." Piper said, trying to push the throne out of the way.

"Hold on," I said. I tried pushing the throne with my superhuman strength alone, but it wasn't enough. Piper tried pushing too. It wouldn't budge. Piper's hand slipped over mine and suddenly, her strength tripled and the throne slid out of the way.

"Did you just-"

Piper faded into thin air. She had my invisibility. "This is so cool!" She cried, reappearing.

"Yeah, and weird." I replied. "You have power manipulation, and healing...and you  _saw_  Thor and Odin?"

"We'll figure all of this out later. Let's go." She said, starting her way down the ladder.

* * *

We both held small fields in our hands to give us some light as we made out way down the tunnels. The dim violet light coming from our hands was rather relaxing for such a stressing situation. Piper led the way, using her fancy new powers to find Thor and Odin.

"Are you sure there's no booby traps or anything?" I muttered, my voice echoing down the dark halls.

"Lady Alex? Is that you?!" Thor's voice boomed. We ran down the tunnel until we found the dungeon gates, Thor and the real Odin chained up behind them.

"Piper! You're alive!" Thor cried.

"It's a long story."

"Finally, I've been down here forever." Odin sighed, relieved.

"Just close your eyes, boys." I called, stepping back and aiming a field at the lock. The gate fell with a loud clatter from the contact of metal on asphalt.

"Where's Loki?" Thor asked as we began undoing their chains and handcuffs.

"No idea, but he got a hold of the crystal. He rules Asgard now."

Odin exhaled painfully. "Oh joy. We'll never get the Seidr crystal back, it's one of the most powerful forms of magic in existence. We try to take it back, and can just change destiny so that we were never born. I'm surprised he hasn't done that already."

"Don't jinx us, father."

"Never say never, your majesty. We'll fix this. I'll fix this. It was all my fault." I spoke up.

"No, it was mine. I fell for his tricks and brought you here in the first place." Thor said. He wrapped Piper in a tight hug as soon as his hands were free.

"It was nobody's fault. We need to work together and fix this before things get worse." Piper said, pulling back.

"Piper,  _how_  are you alive?" Thor asked.

"I didn't die..."

"You came into contact with raw aether, you should be dead."

"I only thought it was a legend..." Odin began.

"What?" I asked.

"I believe that your friend here has obtained the aether she was exposed to. Aether manipulation has been in folklore for eons, but I've never seen it in person." Odin said, walking up to Piper, intrigued. "May I?" He asked, motioning to her hand. Piper held out her palm, and he held it between both of his hands. "You've definitely got aether in you. But it's not hostile. You've obtained it to use for your own choices."

"What can I do?"

"Aether is  _the_  celestial element, you can do nearly anything. Cosmological force manipulation, alchemy, animancy, pure creation, destruction, divination, healing, necromancy, telekinesis, power manipulation...the list is endless." Odin rambled, amazed.

"I don't know what half of that means." Piper chuckled.

"I'll explain later. There are more pressing issues at hand."

"How are we going to get out of here? There are guards everywhere and technically only two of the four of us can turn invisible." I said.

"I've got an idea." Piper answered. We all leaned in anticipating her answer. "It's going to sound a little crazy, but you'll just have to trust me."

* * *

We split up. Thor, Piper and I went one way and Odin went the other. His stealth and battle skills weren't the strongest, but he knew his fair share of fighting in a war.

"Lady Piper, are you sure this is going to work?" Thor asked as we approached a palace window.

"We don't have anything else." Piper retorted.

I looked out of the window and watched for Odin. The poor old fart had become our live bait.

"Shh, I see him." I watched as Odin walked out of the entrance to the palace, his hands in the air showing that he meant surrender. All of the guards rushed towards him, making sure he was under constraint.

"Hurry!" Piper urged, pushing Thor closest to the window. He held Mjölnir in one hand, and held Piper and I as close to his body as he could with his free arm.

"Hold on tight!" We went flying out of the castle window, past all of the city and directly over the Bifrost. We landed harshly on the what used to be the colorful bridge, now dull and unappealing. We to the edge of the Bifrost, only to see Heimdall ready to fight. Sirens were blaring in the distance.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Heimdall, please! This is all a mistake! Loki has gone mad with power!" Thor exclaimed.

"Loki is the rightful king of Asgard, and you are the oaf that always tries to take his place." Heimdall said, charging at us.

We each dodged Heimdall in a different direction. He swung at me next, and blew him over with one of my fields.

Thor tackled him next. I was watching in fear from the sidelines, until Piper grabbed my hand. "Come on! We've got to go!"

"We can't just leave him here!"

"Go!" Thor yelled. "I'll catch up!"

Before I could say anything else, Piper threw me into the brightly glowing portal. She jumped in right after.

* * *

We landed in the same place we left from. The field that should've been right next to the base.

Except the base was missing. "Steve?" I breathed, my heart sinking. "Steve!" I screamed, my voice echoing across the bare stretch of land. It was useless. He, just like everyone else, was gone.

The sky was a dark grey. Everything was dimly lit. All of the trees were dead, their naked branches still reaching for the sky like hands reaching for hope.

"Alex?" Piper called, the fear thick in her voice.

I spun around to see her pointing towards the sky.

I followed her line of sight with my eyes. They were met with bright lights reflecting onto the thick, dark clouds where the stratosphere met the Earth.

"Those look pretty far off, at least a three day walk."

"Do you think it's the city?" Piper asked.

"I don't know. Can you see anything?"

Piper held her hands to her head, her eyebrows furrowing. "It's all distorted...I can't make anything out."

"Loki's probably got restraints on your powers...he technically gave them to you after all." I paused. "I've got a bad feeling about those lights. But, right now, they're the only thing we can head towards."

"Alex, can we do this?"

I exhaled deeply, my eyes not moving off of the lights. I didn't know what to say. The team was missing, if they were even alive in this universe Loki had created. I could feel myself growing weaker from the curse. Luckily Piper had some powers, but we still weren't completely sure of what she could do. A breeze started up, brushing through my hair and drifting across my face. I remembered that I still had to answer Piper.

"We have to. Nobody else can."


	12. The World Will Never be The Same

Piper and I walked for hours, through endless miles of what used to be thriving fields and woodlands. Now everything was dead. The ground was solid, cold, dry, dusty, lifeless. The sun had finally began to set behind all of the clouds, and the darkness of the night began to rise. Fast.

"What are we going to do for the night?" Piper asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between us.

We couldn't start a fire, we couldn't build any sort of shelter, and there didn't seem to be any sign of civilization anywhere nearby. I had forgotten how remote the base actually was.

"Alex?"

I was shaken from my thoughts. "I don't know. I think we're just going to have to keep walking as long as we can."

"We can't just walk all night!"

"What are we going to then, Piper?! Just plop ourselves down in the middle of nowhere and sleep?!"

"Yes! At least that's what I was thinking!"

"That's dangerous! We'll wake up in Loki's clutch and then who's going to save the world?!"

"It might not be us if we keep screaming at each other!" Piper snapped.

Silence.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout." I muttered.

"I'm sorry too. But seriously, what  _are_  going to do? It's going to be so dark soon and we won't even be able to see each other."

I grinned deviously before lighting up a field in my hand. Piper looked down, embarrassed. "Oh shut up." She mumbled, resuming her walk, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hey! I didn't say anything!" I called after her, snickering.

"I said shut it!"

* * *

Our hike continued long after the dim light of the sun vanished into pure darkness. We both lit up fields in our hands again for some light, but it wasn't much. I had felt insanely nauseous for the majority of the hike, and I'd dry heaved a good three times. Assuming it was stress, I tried to put it aside and focus on the main task at hand.

"How do you feel? Are you gonna upchuck anymore?" Piper asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between us yet again.

"No, at least I don't think so." I replied. "Where do you think the others are?" The silence had become deafening, and I wanted to talk about something other than just my vomiting. There were no crickets or owls, nothing alive for miles except for Piper and I. Whenever we walked and didn't talk, the only sounds were our breathing, our feet padding against the dead ground below, and a very faint hum from our force fields.

"I don't know. The fact that I couldn't see them worries me."

"Loki certainly isn't stupid. The first thing he would take away to weaken us would be the people we love. I think that's why he tried to kill you."

Piper nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I agree with you there." Piper paused. "Alex, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Are you jealous of my abilities?"

I had to laugh at her question. "No, of course not, why would you ask? I'm happy for you!"

"I was just wondering. I feel less like an odd man out now."

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since we started housing with the Avengers, I've always felt excluded. Only because I couldn't do the cool things you guys can do. I wasn't a mutant, or created to be special. I just felt like a paper slave, or a secretary, or, something. Whenever there was a mission I always had to stay behind. I don't know, I just felt, different. Like an outcast, I guess."

"Piper, why didn't you say anything before? And you're not an outcast, everybody loves you!"

"I know, and, I just never thought it was right. Like it never felt like the right time to say it." She said. "But it seemed like the right time now."

"Why?"

"I think you know." Piper replied softly.

I did know. And I dreaded thinking about it. Chances of surviving this one were small.

"Yeah, I do." I muttered. "Well, if we do make it through this one alive, and there's any chance of things being remotely close to what they used to be, I promise you won't feel left out anymore. I'll make sure of it."

A small grin appeared on Piper's face. "Thanks, Alex."

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Thor fought Heimdall for what felt like forever, until he finally knocked him out.

Thor returned to Midguard, only to land where the base used to be. Thor acted quick, flying off into the sky straight for the source of the lights in the distance.

* * *

The prison was dark, and cold. The chains bore the heaviest of weights, specially designed for their kind. All was silent. Just the hum of their presence rang through the dimly lit dungeon, no words were uttered from anyone's lips.

A door creaked open, causing a few of them to jump. Footsteps followed, slowly entering the dungeon hall. One step, after another, after another, until they stopped.

"I find it ironic." Loki began. "How does it feel to be in my place?"

Three more footsteps.

"How does it feel, to lose?!" He screamed, his voice echoing off the cement walls. He waited until the silence engulfed his voice, only to speak again. He laughed to himself, "I, personally, think it's...hysterical." He laughed again. "The Avengers, "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", plus some, finally in my grasp. The Nine Realms rightfully mine to rule, my father or brother not here to stop me...none of  _you_  to stop me." Loki began walking. He continued to walk in such a manner so that every single one of them could see him as he spoke. "Ever since I was a young boy, my family always told me I would fail. Except for my mother. All my life, I suppose, I was looked down upon. My brother was always popular with all of the townsfolk, and I preferred to be engaging in my studies rather than boasting and bragging with other forms of life. It all seemed wrong to me. Knowledge grants one power. Power to lead, power to rule, power that could be rightfully mine. And now I've got it. All I've ever wanted, in my hands, all thanks to this little beauty." He held up the crystal.

"We haven't lost. Not yet." Steve spoke up.

"And how is that, Captain? Because your wife is still alive? I can assure you that she will not be breathing for much longer. And I'll make sure that you get to look into her eyes and she dies from the curse that  _his_  father bestowed on her!" Loki pointed at Tony. "Besides, I've already scorched her pathetic other half. Such a weasel. Couldn't tell right from left if she was given a chance."

"How could you?" Bucky grumbled, his voice low, eyes menacing. Tears had begun to swell in all of their eyes.

"It's called survival of the fittest, soldier. You of all psychopaths should know."

"She was only a kid!" Bucky screamed, lashing out. The chains restricted him, and he only began to hurt himself by struggling. Loki walked over to Bucky's cell.

"A child who had no place on this Earth, or anywhere." Loki watched Bucky struggle, looking into his eyes. "What does it matter to you, Sergeant Barnes? Is it because, you  _fancied_  her presence? No no, wait, I've got it. It's because she didn't fear you. Is that it, James? You thought you had a chance with this girl because she wasn't  _afraid_  of you?"

"Shut up." Bucky growled.

Loki chuckled to himself. "Pathetic. You were  _made_  to feared, James. You were made to slaughter without leaving a trace. Your job is to kill. You cannot love, you cannot feel. You are a machine that is destined to burn in Hell for all of the blood on your hands."

"Shut up!" Bucky screamed.

"Buck! Don't listen to him!" Steve shouted.

"Well I have got good news for you, you'll see her again, at the gates of Hell. And you know what's going to make that even better? I'll be the one who torments you, while she watches. And then I'll torture her, and you get the front row seat. I'll make sure that you watch her, and so many that you love die over and over again to remind you of the true pain and suffering that you deserve."

"I said, SHUT UP!"

The only sound was Bucky's harsh breathing, and small breaths coming from Wanda's sobs.

Loki lowered himself down to Bucky's level, his eyes not moving off of Bucky's. "See, James? One does not need to end your life because you are already _dead._ "

Bucky looked away, and Loki stood, returning to the others. "So you see, Captain, you _have_  lost." Loki walked towards Steve's cell. "I'll make sure that your wife never sees the light of day again. You don't need her, especially not to create more of you. The last thing this world needs is another Rogers, another false leader."

"You didn't need to kill an innocent girl to prove your point. You have no room to sit there and accuse another of murder." Natasha spoke up, her voice cracking.

"Oh, but I did, Ms. Romanoff. I believe I've proven my point. Love is nothing but vengeance. Vengeance nurses on love, until that love is ripped away. Death is simply the guide, who takes the love away when it's time. But if death takes the love away too early, you see, the vengeance goes mad. It simply cannot accept the loss and move on. No, it has to slaughter another's love in return for empathy, or, slaughter the source of their loss. The vengeance will blame whoever it was that took away their love, physically. But in reality the vengeance is blind to the fact that it's fate who took their love away. Fate is in charge of death, and death cannot be captured. Fate is invisible to the mind, even to that of beasts such as yourselves. Life is simply growing towards death. Imbeciles are the ones who make attachments along the way. The only way to live is without ties, without strings.  _I_  live without strings. The few strings I did have were cut long ago. And look who wound up on top? It's such a beautiful thing, isn't it, Avengers? Ah, even your name has vengeance written all over it. The Avengers, created to avenge death for others who cannot do it for themselves. To avenge, means to fail. And to rule, means to win. I have won, you have lost, there is no other way to put it. And how have I won exactly? Because there are no strings on me!" Loki screamed, his voice hoarse.

His footsteps seemed to vanish, and the door slammed behind him. The silence engulfed them all once again.

"I hate that guy." Clint muttered.

"Is everybody alright?" Tony asked gently.

"Bucky? Talk to me." Steve called.

"He's right." Bucky said softly.

"No, Bucky, stop." Steve warned.

"He killed Piper..." Wanda cried from her cell. Sam'd heart dropped hearing the words. Everyone's heart dropped.

"Wanda...listen to me..." Vision began softly. She continued to sob, her breathing sporadic.

"What?" She whimpered.

"Everything's going to be okay."

"No it's not! You heard him! We lost! It's over!" There was a loud thud, and a bright flash of red.

"Wanda?!" Bruce called, his cell adjacent to hers.

"Wanda?!" Sam shouted, his cell adjacent to the other side. "Wanda, answer me!"

She began coughing after a moment, and relief flushed over the team.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Wanda muttered, sniffling. "But it didn't feel good."

"Loki wants us all to go mad, we need to remain calm." Tony called out. "Whatever you do, don't let him get to you. Don't let anything get to you."

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

Another day had been risen to life. The sun providing us with some relief with it's bright white glow illuminating through the clouds.

"How much farther?" I whined.

"Not too much. We should be there in due time." Piper answered.

_"Love is nothing but vengeance."_

"Piper, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

_"Vengeance nurses on love, until that love is ripped away."_

"There's somebody talking! How can you not hear that!"

"What are they saying?"

_"Death is simply the guide, who takes the love away when it's time."_

I suddenly felt a burning pain on the underside of my right forearm. "Ah, ow, ow! Piper! It hurts!" I shouted, grasping my arm.

"What's wrong?!" Piper called, running to my side.

"Stop! It's getting louder!" I screamed, holding my head in my hands. My skull was throbbing from the inside out, this voice ringing loudly inside. My ears felt tight and cringed with every syllable. The burning on my arm returned, the pain intensified. I fell to my knees, my fingers wrapping themselves tightly in the hair above my ears as my palms covered my ear lobes. My eyes were closed tight.

"Alex!" Piper cried.

_"Fate is in charge of death, and death cannot be captured."_

I wailed, as loud as I could, my throat and lungs burning like fire.

_"Life is simply growing towards death."_

With those final words, everything stopped. My breathing was heavy, my head felt light, my chest as if it weighed a thousand pounds. I took deep breaths, and held my head in my hands.

"Alex! What was that? Are you alright?" Piper asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," I panted. "I think."

"What's on your arm?"

We both looked down to see a snowflake like symbol now tattooed on my arm in black. It appeared as eight simplistic spiked tridents growing outwards from each other, with three dashes near the top of every staff and a circle surrounding where they all connected at the base, the center of the symbol.

"I have no idea."

All of a sudden, there was a loud  _swoosh_  overhead, and a loud explosion of land about 50 feet behind us.

Piper and I exchange a look, before she quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me up from the ground. We both took off running as fast we could, until we heard a familiar voice.

"Lady Alex! Lady Piper! Wait!"

We froze.

"Thor?" Piper gasped.

Our eyes scanned the thinning clouds of dust, waiting for movement. And then, out of the ashes, came the god of thunder in the flesh.

"Thor!" I screamed with joy, running straight on towards him.

We embraced in a tight hug, his large muscles almost choking me to death. It reminded me of Steve's hugs, only making my heart ache even more.

"I have been coping with the worst of fears ever since we departed on the bifrost." Thor said, releasing me. "I was horribly concerned that you had not returned safely."

"Well, we did. But there's a bit of a predicament if you haven't noticed."

"Bring it in, big guy-" Piper said, Thor's arms cutting her off before she could finish.

"Have you seen any signs of the others?" Thor asked.

"No, nothing. Not even a sign of life."

"We haven't eaten in two days and I'm starving." Piper whined.

"Well, I suggest we get to moving then. Loki is in the city. I can feel it. He probably has the others as well."

"If they're still alive." I mumbled, looking off at the lights in the distance.

"Alex, don't say that." Piper retorted, pain heavy in her voice.

"Lady Alex, what marking occupies your arm? Where did you get that?"

"Actually, just a few minutes ago. Do you know anything about what it means?"

Thor took Alex's arm in his hands and studied the mark closely. "It is the Helm of Awe, an old Norse marking. The symbol represents fear, and is used to strike fear into the heart of an enemy before an attack. You say you just got this now?"

"Yeah, we were just walking, and I heard this voice in my head...and my arm starting burning, and then the next thing I know it's all over and I've got this thing."

"I believe that Loki has cast this upon you as a warning. With the crystal in his possession, he nearly has all control over whether you live or die."

My heart sank. How relieving. "So he can just snap his fingers and I'm dead?"

"I'm afraid so. Howard had done something good by destroying that crystal. It may be one of the most dangerous weapons in all of the realms."

"Great." I huffed. Piper had fallen silent, looking at us with concern and sympathy.

"We must hurry to Loki quickly, and we must find the others. Hold on tight, ladies."

"Oh boy." Piper sighed. "Nightmare at 20,000 feet here with come, minus the gremlin."

We both held on to Thor for dear life as we took off like a rocket, shooting through the sky at what felt like the speed of light.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

The dungeon had fallen silent again. Not a single movement or sound was made.

"I'm sorry."

His words made them all jump from their gazes.

"What was that, Buck?" Steve answered, his voice cracking. He had been crying.

"I said I'm sorry. That goes for all of you."

"It's okay to lash out. It's part of what we do." Natasha chimed in.

"I shouldn't have acted like I did, and I'm sorry."

Steve, knowing that Bucky wouldn't stop apologizing unless he gave him an answer, said, "It's okay, Buck. Don't worry about it."

Silence.

"I haven't felt like that for as long as I can remember." Bucky continued. "I felt...so defeated, torn apart when he said that Piper was...dead. I haven't felt that, I don't think ever. Not that strongly."

"You love her." Wanda added. "We all do."

Bucky let out a small chuckle, barely audible. "Love?"

"I know what it feels like. To have your heart ripped out when you find out a person that you love is dead."

Bucky began to think things to himself: "How could I  _love_  her? I've barely talked to her before...how could I ever love again? How could she love me? I'm a killing machine. She doesn't deserve me. Nobody deserves to have to deal with the mess I've become."

All of a sudden, there was a noise. An earth shattering rumble that shook the entire dungeon.

"Is everybody okay?" Tony called out after the small earthquake.

They all froze, listening closely. There was silence before a blood curdling scream broke it. Crashes, screams, cracks, thumps, clangs, nearly every sound effect possible started echoing simultaneously.

"What is that?" Wanda asked.

"Shh, sh." Steve whispered.

There was one distinctive scream that Steve noticed immediately. "Alex?" He gasped. "Alex!"

Suddenly all was silent, just before the dungeon doors blew open with an explosion that rattled the entire place.

"Honey! I'm home!" Piper called in.

"Piper?" Bucky muttered.

"Piper! You're alive!" Sam called. Bucky felt his protective instincts awaken when Sam called Piper's name. He wanted to keep her safe. He wanted her to be his, and his only.

"Sam!" Piper cried. "Bruce! Bucky! You're all here! Alex! They're down here!"

Piper began busting everyone out, and they all watched in awe. "Piper, you have abilities now?" Wanda grinned.

"Aether manipulation. Loki tried to kill me but he actually just helped us out. Sucks to suck." Piper hummed under her breath happily.

The soft padding of Alex's feet echoed off the walls as she ran down the stairs. "Steve-"

"Alex!" Steve called.

Alex sprinted towards Steve's voice, falling to her knees when she saw his eyes. He leaned against the metal bars, relieved that she was alive. His heart quickly sank when he noticed the discoloration of her skin, and how the violet in her eyes had faded to a pale lavender. Her once lush lips were pale and dry, and her breathing was heavy.

"Honey, are you okay?"

"Steve-" Alex breathed, her eyelids struggling to stay open.

Piper blasted the lock off Steve's cell, and got the chains off of his hands just in time so that he could catch Alex in his arms. Piper went back to freeing the others.

"What's that mark on her arm?"

The Helm of Awe on Alex's arm had grown, her veins turning black and her flesh turning white as the mark expanded.

"Oh no, it's happened already-" Thor breathed.

"What's wrong with her?!" Steve snapped.

"The mark has gotten worse. It is all part of the curse. The Helm of Awe is the sign of fear, the final sign of the curse. Her body has been sentenced to death, the only place she still lives is in her mind."

"What do you mean,  _sentenced to death_?" Piper said through clenched teeth, walking over to Thor. "You didn't mention that earlier!"

"I did not want to strike even more fear into the heart of Lady Alex. She was already fearing enough, she did not need, and could not hold any more weight on her shoulders."

"What I want to know is how everything changed so suddenly, and now Loki's in power?" Natasha asked.

"He reassembled the crystal and changed his own destiny so that he rules all." Thor replied.

"How did Loki get the crystal shards?" Vision asked.

Piper and Thor exchanged looks. "He tricked us." Piper mumbled.

"Loki had disguised himself as Odin, and he's been stomping around dressed as my father for quite some time I imagine. He fooled many, not just us, Lady Piper."

Off the to the side, Bucky gently grabbed Piper's arm. "I thought you were dead." He began, looking deep into her eyes.

"I almost was-"

"He told us you were dead." They gazed into each other's eyes before Bucky pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're alive."

Suddenly Bucky jumped out of their grasp, and they both turned to see Clint grinning from cheek to cheek. "Hey there, hot stuff."

"What was that for?" Bucky grumbled.

"I've been tied up for too long. I had to bother somebody." He shrugged.

"Why did you have to grab my-"

Bucky was interrupted by Tony.

"We need to get out of here, now. It won't be long before Loki realizes that we're free."

"My brother has vanished from the premises." Thor spoke up. "None of us could find him here."

"That doesn't mean he won't be coming back." Sam added.

"Alright. We're going to split up. Sam, Wanda, Piper, Bucky, go with Steve and Alex. Bruce, Nat, Clint, Vision, and I will go together." Tony ordered.

"Yes but what is our plan of action?" Vision asked.

"We get out of here, meet up, and save Alex. To do that we need to get the crystal out of Loki's hands."

"And then what?" Steve muttered, his eyes and cheeks red, tears staining his face.

"How do we prevent this curse from doing any further harm to her?" Vision asked, looking up at Thor.

"My father cast the curse on Alex...he can surely remove it."

"What? I thought that Howard did that." Piper added. Tony glared at her. "Sorry, Tony."

"No. Howard changed destiny's web so that his daughter, Alex, would have a child with his greatest creation of the future, Captain America. Creating the most powerful superhuman known to mankind." Thor looked at Steve.

"Wait, Tony, Alex is related to you?" Sam questioned.

"Apparently so. Her mother and my father had somewhat of an affair while they were working together."

"Same father, different mothers." Bruce muttered. "Interesting."

"Where is Odin now, Thor?" Steve asked, his voice stronger now. He remained on the floor, cradling Alex's lifeless body.

"Still in Asgard. I will have to return and retrieve him, please forgive my sudden absence." Thor said before exiting. Seconds later he shot off like a rocket into the sky.

"So, I guess we'll go minus one." Tony broke the silence.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

My eyes shot open, my eyelids quickly closing when my pupils were met with a bright light. They gently eased open again, and I took in the sight of one of the most beautiful forests I'd ever seen. The trees seemed to reach towards the sky for miles, the floor was coated with beautiful green plants and mosses, and the sun allowed everything to shine bright in all of it's glory.

I stood slowly, a smile spreading across my lips.

But then I remembered.

The last thing I could remember was knocking out a bunch of guards.

And Steve's eyes. His beautiful blue eyes.

Suddenly there was a rustling coming from, somewhere. I instinctively armed myself. "Who's there?!"

Silence.

"Answer me!"

There was no answer.

I began to walk forwards, keeping my eyes peeled, fields ready. With every step, I noticed that the sky started to fade. So did the sun, the colors of the plants, until all of a sudden, everything was dead. It was winter. Dead leaves scattered the floor, the brisk air nipped at my skin, the trees reached towards the sky with their thin and bare branches appearing as if they were dead hands reaching from their graves.

I kept walking.

Everything stayed dead, but I noticed the temperature seemed to rise a little with each step.

Thunder crashed. Seconds later, it began pouring down rain. It was spring now.

"What in the-" I looked forward to see something off in the distance.

I quickly ran towards it, my feet sloshing in the mud and puddles rupturing when my feet stomped through them.

It was a door.

So I opened said door, stepping in slowly.

"Piper! Get up here!"

"Hold on, Alex!"

I was in Piper's old house now, the house her and I grew up in. I turned around to see that the door I'd come through had turned into the closet door in the room that we used to share as kids. I opened the door to find clothes. The forest was gone.

I observed the scene, soon remembering it.

"Piper!" 'I' cried.

 _I_  was only seven in this memory.

"I'm coming!" A small Piper called back.

This was the day that Piper and I moved into our new room together at the apartment we lived in until we graduated high school. Then we went to college and moved up to New York City.

"It's amazing!" I cried, falling back onto the bed.

Piper rounded the corner, her eyes lighting up when she saw the room. It was a decently large bedroom, with two beds, a conjoined bathroom, and window nook on the far side. One bed was on the left of the door, the other on the right, the conjoined bathroom was at the foot of the bed on the right, and the small nook with the overhanging window was on the opposite wall of the door. My bed was the one on the right, and Piper claimed the left. The walls were a light tan color, new wooden floors glistening in the sunlight that poured through the window. I barely remembered seeing the room so new, so clean. Piper and I had the place completely trashed only weeks after inhabiting it.

"Wow, look at that!" Piper squealed, eyeing up the window. I quickly released that I, normal-me, the ghost of me, whatever I was, was standing right in her way. She darted for the window, running straight through me. Little me soon followed her.

"I think I'm gonna like it here." I breathed, looking out the window with Piper.

I smiled, feeling a few tears prick at my eyes. That had to be one of the best days of my childhood. Piper and I stayed up for almost two days straight just unpacking and decorating, building a fort, pillow fights, and all of the above.

"Alex-" I heard a voice whisper. I spun around, eyeing up the door. I walked over, peeing my head out slowly. I heard it again. "Alex-" A voice called, dry, a whisper, rather creepy. This time it was clear that it was to my left, where the stairs were.

I made my way down the apartment stairs, looking over through the living room to the kitchen to see Piper's parents unpacking happily. I remembered her parents. They ended up being like my own, they were my own. They were two of the sweetest people I'd ever known.

My observing was interrupted when the house door creaked open, a bright white light illuminating from the doorway. I took one last look before slipping into the white light.

I couldn't see a thing, so I just took baby-steps through the white that now surrounded me. Within a few more steps, I noticed that the brightness slowly began to fade. I darted ahead, and the next thing I new, I was only inches away Steve's face. I gasped, "Steve?" "Steve!" I leaned in to hug him, but I went right through him.

I spun around to see me, a little younger me, standing and looking at Steve where I was standing a few seconds ago. Agent Hill was there, Piper too.

"Miss Cooper," Steve said.

"Mr. Rogers," I replied.

We both shook hands. It was the first time I met Steve.

His eyes, his  _beautiful_  blue eyes. As bright as an untouched tropical ocean, with little white streaks that made them shine, and the smallest hint of green on the circumference of his irises. That was this memory. I could get lost in Steve's eyes for eternity and be beyond content. I remembered that day unlike any other. I couldn't take my eyes off of his, my heart felt like a cloud, so light, but so full at the same time. My stomach twisted into knots, and it felt like I'd known those eyes forever.

The scene froze. Our eyes froze. Locked in time. Forever.

I could've stayed there forever, too.

Suddenly, there was a consistent thumping from the door to the right. It was the door to the training room, but I had a deep feeling that I wasn't headed to the training room at all. I opened the door, and slipped into the white light yet again.

This time, I emerged in Avengers Tower. The consistent thumping was the bass of Tony's insanely loud party music. As I made my way through the people, the music slowly began to fade out, until I was standing alone. There was a laugh from the level below, and I walked over to the stairs, slowly making my way down them. I remembered as soon as I saw it. We were all sitting in the den, talking, chatting, having a grand old time after the party had cleared out.

"Clint, do us all a favor and grow up already." Tony said smoothly, making all of us cheer and rant.

"Just apply cool water to the area of burn." Natasha teased.

"What's so wrong about playing truth or dare?"

"Tell me one good thing that comes out of that game." I piped up.

"Spin the bottle?" Clint gave a cheeky grin.

"Seriously, what's up with you and all these kissing games. Clint if you're that horny there's a bar two blocks away." Tony added.

Everyone went back to talking and laughing all at once, and I couldn't help but smile. I was sitting on the couch close to Steve. His arm was draped over my shoulders, and we were glued together at the hip. We were both secretly wishing to just get out of there and spend some time with ourselves. I wish we would've known that things were going to change like they did. We both surely would've treasured the moment a little more. The memory-me looked up to see Bruce, scared for his life. I remembered that, too.

"Bruce," I said softly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just don't, socialize well-"

"See, Bruce needs to learn how to hang loose-" Clint began. "And there's no better way to hang loose than a good old game of spin the bottle."

"No I think there's a better one than that." Nat mumbled, biting back a grin.

We all looked at her questioningly. "Seven minutes in Heaven," She laughed halfway through her phrase.

Another uproar began, some agreeing, some disagreeing, all of the above.

"Wait, wait!" Thor boomed. "What is this, seven minutes in Heaven? Must we really slaughter each other only to come back to Midguard in seven minutes?"

We all burst out laughing, even Steve tried his hardest to suppress a laugh. "The game doesn't involve everybody killing each other..."

"At all-" Piper added with a giggle.

I missed those days. The original crew. Tony, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Nat, Clint, Piper, and Me. Just us against the world.

Suddenly, we all froze. The memory froze. My eyebrows furrowed, looking around for an answer. Just then there was the little clink of glass on glass, and I spun around to see Loki pouring himself a drink at Tony's bar.

"Has your little stroll down memory lane been memorable enough?"

"I suppose. At least it was, until you showed up."

"Ouch, was that supposed to be offensive?"

"Hm, a little sarcastic for the god of lies now, aren't we?"

Loki laughed out loud, putting the bottle down on the table with a light _clink_. "You can be rather adorable when you get angry, no wonder the captain fancies you so. Well, fancied, I should say."

"What's the deal? Am I dead?"

"Well, unless your friends pick up the pace out there, I would say so." He grinned smugly, taking a sip of his drink. "Prior to your onslaught of questions: You have fallen into a coma. That little curse coursing through your veins has almost reached your heart, and unless they," He pointed at the group of heroes frozen in the memory, "-can figure out how to save you, you best be prepared to say goodbye to  _everything_  and  _anyone_  you have ever loved."

I felt sorrow overtake my form, and I looked back at us all laughing like that, frozen in time. Where did the time go?

"Where are we right now then?"

"Inside your head." He said, leaning against the bar counter, pointing to his own skull.

"So this like, one of those things that people go through right before they die. They see all of the people they love one last time."

Loki clapped slowly. "Took you long enough."

"I still don't understand-"

"What now?" Loki sighed, scoffing.

"Why?"

"Why what?" He practically rolled his eyes.

"Why, everything? If I had never agreed to work with the Avengers, none of this would've ever happened."

"Not necessarily. It was already too late. Howard Stark had already changed your destiny. You were destined to be with the great Captain America that he would create someday, and bear a child, just as you already do."

I froze.

"What?"

Loki looked up at me. "What?"

"What did you  _just_  say?" I growled through clenched teeth.

He rolled his eyes. "Surprise!" He slammed his glass down, straitening up. "Might as well let you know since you are about to take that little beast to the grave with you anyways."

"Am I-?"

"Pregnant? Yes. I guess Howard Stark's dreams would have become a reality if Odin had not placed this lovely curse upon you."

I looked down in shock, placing a hand over my abdomen, even though that wasn't technically where the child was growing. I was going to die with Steve and I's precious little baby, and he would never know. I was speechless. My head ached, like a bullet had just been plunged into my brain. My stomach twisted into knots. I could still feel physical pain since my body wasn't a corpse just yet.

"I am genuinely surprised that you had no idea." Loki chuckled to himself. "All of that nausea surely should have been quite the hint, darling."

I remembered then, that time I had the hallucination at Sam's place. I thought I was throwing up blood but I was just flat out puking. That's when it all started. Ever since then I've been experiencing nausea on and off...and other things that could be classified as signs of pregnancy now that I think about it. I just never took them into consideration because of how hectic things have been.

"None the less, it appears that some good has come from this mess after all." Loki sighed.

"Good?" I snapped. "How could any of this be good? Maybe for you it is!"

"Exactly. Sometimes a little sacrifice is all it takes to make the world a better place."

" _Little_? Excuse you but I don't believe that  _my child_  and  _I_  classify as a  _small_  sacrifice."

"Ohh, look at you, got an ego now? As I mentioned before,  _adorable_."

Loki and I were now face to face, spitting our harsh words at each other like daggers into flesh. Anger overtook me, and I quickly tried to use my force fields against him, but I no longer possessed any power.

He smirked, "Your body possesses your power. Not your conscious." There was a small pause. "Well, I suggest you make yourself comfortable. Explore your last few memories of your flesh before they are gone forever. Meanwhile, I have a chicken fight I must attend."

Before I could say anything, he was gone. The memory unfroze and laughter echoed through the room once again.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Steve carried Alex in his arms bridal style.

Sam and Bucky both offered multiple times to carry her so Steve could rest his arms, but he refused every single time.

They weren't really sure where they were headed. Sam, Steve, Wanda, Bucky, and Piper walked the streets of what used to be the bustling New York City at a somewhat normal pace for once. The only task they had at the moment was to meet up with the others again, and Tony said to meet in Times Square near 45th street.

Piper's eyes caught a glimpse of Alex's lifeless face over Steve's shoulder while they were walking, and she felt a knot form in her throat, hot tears threaten to fall from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away before anybody could notice, or at least that's what she thought.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Bucky asked Piper softly. He had been on her right side the entire walk.

"I'll be fine." She mumbled, her voice cracking. Wanda wrapped an arm around Piper from the left, while Sam and Steve exchanged empathetic glances. Steve had been fighting back tears the entire walk, and refused to let anymore fall to add to the ones that had fallen earlier.

"Everything is going to be alright, I promise." Wanda added. "She is very strong, and she will make it."

"I'm just worried, that's all. Don't worry about me, please. You've all got enough on your shoulders."

"Piper, of course we're going to worry about you." Sam added.

"When Loki told us that you were dead, we all lost it." Wanda said, looking over at Bucky, who looked back at her quickly before averting his gaze again.

"You mean a lot to each and every one of us, Piper. Remember that." Steve finally spoke. He could sense that Piper didn't feel loved.

"Thank you." Piper said softly. Steve was right. She had always felt that she wasn't important, that she could practically disappear and they wouldn't notice. It was comforting to know that she had just been overthinking half of the time.

All of a sudden, the temperature dropped rather noticeably.

"What's happening?" Sam asked.

Ice began to form on the edges of the streets, and snow began to fall from the grey clouds above.

"He's here." Steve said. Suddenly Alex's body began to glow, and she vanished into thin air in Steve's arms. He panicked, bolting in nearly every direction a few feet looking for an answer.

"If you want an answer, Captain, sometimes you just need to look up." Loki called from the top of a building.

Just then, the Tony and the rest of the team jogged up behind them.

"Where is she?!" Steve screamed.

"Safe." Loki smirked. He then noticed Piper. "And how are you still parading around, Williamson?"

She didn't answer him. She simply glared into his eyes with pure hatred.

"The silent treatment, hm? Fair enough. Well, now that I have you all excited, I do believe the time has arrived for a little fun." He placed his fingers to his lips and whistled, long and high pitched.

All was silent for a moment. A moment too short. The snowflakes began to fall from the sky more heavily, and just as the breeze kicked up and the weather was dense, the earth began to rumble. The rumbling got louder, harsher, faster, until they saw them.

Frost giants, of every shape and size flooded from every street and avenue, surrounding the team entirely.

"Hold!" Loki called, each of the icy beasts halting to a stop.

"There are so many of them-" Wanda trailed off, panting heavily with fear.

"I won't let them hurt you." Vision mumbled in her ear softly, just loud enough for her to hear. She looked into his teal eyes, noting every gear and tiny mechanism that filled them.

"What now, Elsa?! A snowball fight?!" Tony yelled up.

"Tony, what an excellent idea." A wicked grin appeared on Loki's lips. "Well, you heard him!" He called down to the frost giants, who immediately resumed their charge.

The Avengers prepared for defense, except for Piper.

Piper panicked. She'd never really used any of her abilities yet. She hadn't the time. Her heart raced in her chest, sweat ran down her back spite the freezing cold, and her nerves cringed in every way possible. She found it hard to breathe, her mouth then drooping open slightly as her breathing became heavier with every second. She saw the beasts getting closer and closer, some close to her own size, some three times as large, and some in between. She then felt heat building in her palms, and saw purple electricity sparking from her finger tips. She still had Alex's abilities. Eyes wide, confidence shallow, Piper stepped back, standing in the middle of the circle the team had formed. She quickly shot her arms out, opening her hands and picturing the massive force field in her head. It quickly spawned from the ground up, shielding the entire team from the beasts. The frost giants began to slam into the field as soon as it was up.

Piper screamed. Her muscles began to ache and tense with unimaginable pain. Every blow the frost giants unleashed on the force field tested her muscles. When they pushed on it, she felt her arms threatening to fall inwards again. The air could not seem to stay in her lungs. It was as if they had just shrunken in size, and they burned with the cold air that rushed quickly down, in, and back out again.

"Piper! Drop it! You're going to hurt yourself!" Steve yelled.

She couldn't just drop it, they'd get torn to shreds! "I can't!" She cried.

Just then, more and more frost giants began to pile on top of each other, crawling up the force field. Piper felt the weight on her shoulders now, and cried out in pain. A thousand needles found themselves in her shoulder blades and upper back.

"Do it for Alex," Piper whispered to herself, gaining a sudden amount of liquid courage. "Duck!" She screamed.

Everyone looked at her oddly, sympathetically. "Get down!" She roared, her voice burning in her upper throat. They did as she said.

Piper quickly thought about everything. All of the good times she used to have with Alex, growing up with her, how much she loved her, and then she saw Alex's lifeless body. Her skin nearly blue, her lips agape and dry. Piper saw Loki, laughing manically. Her life literally flashed before her eyes and she felt a fire build from her core, getting hotter and stronger. She felt the anger overcome her head and rush down her body. The forces on her muscles slowly began to ease as she screamed at the top of her lungs, pushing with every ounce of strength and energy she had until a glow began to illuminate from her. The field began to glow seconds after. White bolts of energy shot from her fingertips and she forced her head to look up. Her blood curdling scream soon was drowned out by the hum of the energy, until the light got so bright no one could look into it.

And then the field exploded. Frost giants were flung hundred of feet back into the sides of buildings and some out of sight.

When everything cleared, the team looked up to see Piper standing there, breathing heavily, eyes burning red and the light still fading away into her skin. They only got to admire the scene for a few seconds. "Look out!" Piper shouted, darting forwards and knocking a few more giants away.

They were all quickly on their feet, fighting off frost giants in every direction.

Loki looked down on Piper with great disapproval. "One of them now, are we? Well, that is an easy task to handle."

Steve noticed as Loki slipped away from the edge of the building, walking away from the scene of the crime.

"I've lost visual!" Steve shouted.

Vision quickly shot off the ground, headed for the top of the building where Loki was standing.

The circle soon got disoriented as waves of frost giants fled in at different times. Steve and Sam were fighting them off on foot. Tony had flown to the sky to take them out by diving in and knocking them down like bowling pins. Bruce had gone hulk at some point in the madness and was treading through them like nothing. Piper and Bucky had sided with each other, Bucky punching and kicking for dear life while Piper got to have a little fun with Alex's abilities and many others that she was still piecing together. Wanda was taking them out in pairs of two and three, slamming them into nearby buildings and tossing some thousands of feet into the air only to have them come crashing down on more of their own kind. Vision was keeping Loki busy, who had replicated about eight more of himself to join in on the fun. Clint was almost out of arrows, and Nat was having a grand old time shocking them to death, literally.

Wanda became so engrossed in her defenses, she didn't realize that she was being cornered. Soon enough, she shot herself a level up onto a large gap in the building that had been formed from the battle. The small frost giants quickly began crawling after her so she continued to climb even higher. Little did she know, she was falling right into their trap. Just as she landed on a higher level, there were a few of them already waiting for her. Before she could act, one of them struck a blow to her face, sending right over the edge of the building.

Panic overtook Wanda as she fell rapidly towards the ground. She tried to do something but she knew it was too late. She closed her eyes and waited for the hard impact of the concrete below, only to stop falling. She felt a pair of arms around her, and she opened her eyes slowly. "Pietro?" She gasped in awe.

He smiled. "You didn't see that coming?"

There was a roar from behind and he spun around to see a group of rather angry giants, being that Pietro had ruined their plot to take out Wanda. He shot off like a rocket, only leaving a little blur behind.

Piper and Bucky soon found themselves cornered as well, the waves growing in size with every passing second. They soon backed up into each other, surrounded on all sides by giants. Piper turned her head to the left, Bucky turned his to the right. They were both breathing heavily, and their presence calmed one another. Piper panted, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Guess we'll have to find out." Bucky responded. He bent his arms to a ninety degree angle, Piper linked her arms with his at the elbow and bent hers as well. She put her back to his and they did they same thing with their other arms. "Hold on!"

Piper turned her arms inward so she wouldn't lose grip as he started moving. They built up speed in two rounds, and soon Piper's feet were off the ground and they were doing 360's rather quickly. She quickly emitted a field of aether from her core that burned all of the oncoming frost giants to crisps in seconds. Bucky gradually slowed down and Piper released her grip, landing at his side. It took her a second to find her balance.

Bucky looked at her and smirked, holding up his metal hand for a high five. Piper reciprocated his actions, grinning wildly thereafter. Just then Sam swooped in, landing only a few feet away. He lifted his googles, looking around at the damage and smirked, turning back to Bucky and Piper.

"I'm impressed."

All of a sudden, Pietro was standing there next to them with Wanda in his arms.

"Are you guys seeing this too or am I just losing my mind?" Sam commented, Pietro rolled his eyes before letting his sister's feet drop to the ground.

"I'm sorry I don't believe we've met before." Pietro responded.

"I mean, you were supposed to be dead so I-"

"Hey guys, I know you're tired and everything but can we get a little help up here?" Tony panted through the intercom.

"Where are you?" Sam responded.

"Uh, you see that really big building on your right?" Just as Tony finished, there was a massive explosion from the top of said building.

"Yeah, we see you." Sam went to fly off, but Piper grabbed his arm.

Piper looked into his eyes for a moment, she remembered how good Sam had been to her. Hopefully he'd be good to her one more time. "Take me with you."

"Piper, no." Bucky spoke up, walking up to her side.

"I have to take him out. I can't just sit back and watch." Piper snapped.

"It's not safe up there. You need to stay down here."

"Look, Loki gave me these powers. Who's to say that they aren't the best weapon against him?"

"You're not going up there." Sam replied.

"Sam-"

"I said no!" Sam boomed.

"She's my friend, Sam! If she dies on my watch I'll never live it down!" Piper fired back. There was a pause. "You know what it's like to lose a friend. Please be on my side, let me do this."

"Sam-" Bucky threatened.

Sam saw the look in Bucky's eyes. Bucky loved Piper. Sam remembered how Bucky responded when Loki told them that Piper was dead. And Sam treated Bucky like a brother, even in the short time span they'd come to know each other for real other than before when Sam was hunting him down 24/7. Sam knew what Bucky had been through, how much he'd lost, and Sam also knew that he didn't deserve to lose anything else.

"Piper, I can't do it." Sam responded quietly, lowering his eyes.

"Why not?!"

"Because I love you, Piper!" Bucky quickly caught his words. "I mean,  _we_  love you."

Wanda noticed how Bucky became flustered, retracting into a small portion of his shell because of his words. She knew that was uncommon for his character, especially what based on what Steve told her about him.

Piper looked at Bucky questioningly as Tony's voice came back on the intercom. "Guys! Help! Please! JARVIS 2.0 and I aren't holding up too well!"

"I'm sorry, Piper." Sam said, taking off.

"I have to save her. She saved my life." Piper whispered, watching Sam land on the building. She did her best to hold back any anger. She knew it was because they cared, but she was also sick and tired of being treated like a child. "You saw what I could do. He won't hurt me."

"We can't take that chance."

"We? Or just you?"

Bucky froze, looking down, not sure how to respond. He couldn't just come and say that she was right, because then he knew that she would be upset with him, and he couldn't stand to even let the thought cross his mind let alone it actually happen.

"Piper, when Loki came in and told us you were dead, we all sobbed. We just want you to be safe."

"I understand that, and I'm beyond thankful. But I'm a part of this now, I'm in this battle. I can't just stand on the side lines and cheer you guys on, you need me."

Just then Nat and Clint ran up to the group. Clint stopped about two thirds of the way there. "Pietro?"

Pietro swung out his arms, "In the flesh."

Clint ran up to Pietro and they engulfed each other in a bro-hug.

Natasha was worried about the mission at stake. "What's the status, how are they doing up there?"

"Sam just left. Tony and Vision aren't holding up too well." Bucky responded.

Just then, all three of them went flailing off the top of the skyscraper.

"Tony!" Nat cried, darting off as soon as she saw him go crashing to the side of a nearby building. Hulk followed her to retrieve Tony. Pietro darted off in Sam's direction, who was rapidly falling towards the pavement. Vision caught himself, and joined the rest of the team in the middle of the street.

"I believe the frost giant scare is over. But Loki is not pleased."

"Did we lose him?" Steve panted, panicking.

"I'm afraid so, Captain Rogers." Vision replied.

"We need to get back up there."

"Wait, no, he's gone. His presence is gone." Wanda piped up.

"Great." Clint huffed.

"Are you sure he's just no tricking you?" Steve asked.

"She's right. I don't feel him either." Piper added. Steve looked at her questioningly. "I'll explain later."

All of a sudden, there was a loud crash from behind them. They all spun around, watching anxiously as the dust cleared.

"Well, I suppose there is no good news here then." Thor said, seeing all of his friends beaten up and bleeding. Thor wasn't alone this time. Odin was with him.

"Where is the victim?" Odin asked.

Steve's eyes shot daggers. His jaw clenched, and his muscles tensed. "Your son has her. And  _her_  name is Alex."

"Loki is not my son."

"What's the plan of action, fellas?" Clint asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Wait, where's Piper?" Bucky interrupted. "Piper!" He called. There was no answer.

"Piper!" Wanda called next.

"When did you last see her?" Steve asked.

"She was here just a minute ago!" Bucky exclaimed.

"She probably ran off when they landed." Wanda added. "She wanted to fight Loki on her own."

"But I thought that he was gone?" Steve questioned.

"Piper's abilities are stronger than any of ours combined. She can locate anything or anyone with ease."

"Can you find her, Wanda?"

"I don't think so, she's masked herself in order to prevent herself from being found."

"Vision, can you get us an overview of the city, see if you see any commotion?"

Vision nodded, heading up to the sky.

"Father, what do you need to lift the curse?" Thor asked.

"The crystal, the victim, and no interference by Loki."

Hulk then rounded the corner with Nat in one arm and Tony in the other. Pietro returned with Sam soon after.

"My scanners sense movement in the Upper East Side. East 96th Street. Just near Park Avenue." Vision said over the intercom.

"That's not far at all." Steve added. "Head up there, backup's on the way."

Pietro grabbed Wanda. Sam spread his wings. Hulk grabbed Natasha and Clint. Tony ignited his blasters.

And off they went.

Steve and Bucky looked at each other, and then looked up at Odin and Thor.

"If this was a game of capture the flag, where would Loki hide his flag?" Steve asked sternly.

Bucky snickered to himself. Steve was being dead serious, but his metaphor wasn't the best of choices for said situation in his eyes.

"The place that any of us would never look because we would never dream that he would hide it there." Thor replied.

Odin contributed. "Where would you least expect Loki to hide the vic-" Odin froze, noting Steve's glare. "Lady Alex?" He corrected himself.

Ideas soared through Steve's head as his eyes went from side to side as he tried to think of a plan. Talk about the god of tricks. Riddling as the question at hand was, time was short, and Steve began to feel fear awake in him that he had not felt in ages.

Bucky's mind was distracted as well. Bucky had gained enough of his own mind back to make his typical sly comments and remarks like he used to. He could remember names and faces upon learning them. He remembered bits and pieces of the war, but they were still very faint. Memories of the war would always come back as horrific flashbacks in nightmares that would awake him in the dead of night. Out of everything, he remembered the most about Steve. And the part that scared him the most, was knowing that the Winter Soldier was still inside him. He wasn't gone. Bucky knew that for sure after seeing what he did to some of the frost giants. He just attacked without even having to think about it. He wrapped his mind around the present, and he felt himself longing to follow after the others. He felt an odd connection with Piper. Much like how he felt for Steve, except all different at the same time. He felt that it was his job to protect her. He felt attached to her, from the moment they locked eyes for the first time when he was all tied down and could barely remember his own name. He could tell by looking at her eyes that she wasn't afraid of him. And at the time, that was the most soothing of all feelings. Her presence calmed him, took his own fears away, halted the raging storm inside his head. He needed her.

* * *

The second the team was distracted, Piper tried something new. She focused all of her energy on Loki. On his energy, on a different location. She had to save Alex. She couldn't let them hold her back. They saw what she did to the frost giants earlier. Why couldn't they just let her end it once and for all. Besides, she owed Alex this. Alex saved her life not only just recently, but everyday since they were kids. Alex had been the one who was there for her. Now it was Piper's job to return the favor.

All of a sudden, everything was silent. Piper opened her eyes, and she was somewhere else in the city. Then she saw the street sign.  _E 96th St._

"And what do you think that you are trying to escape from, Miss Williamson?"

Piper froze. "I wasn't trying to escape _from_  anything." She said, her voice low yet strong.

Loki chuckled.

"Where is she?" Piper snapped.

"Safe." Loki raised his voice. "Just as I told you heathens earlier."

Now it was Piper's turn to laugh. "You're calling  _us_  the heathens?"

Loki paused. "I know what you're thinking. You are thinking that the aether pumping through your veins is a gift. You can finally call yourself one of them. But allow me to correct your mistake, because that aether is nothing but pure evil. And unless you give it back, you, everyone, and everything you have ever loved is going to suffer. And how could you dare cast that upon those innocent people?"

"I guess it's best to give you this power, because you are the most responsible." Her sarcasm was thick. "After all, what do you want with it, Loki? Just more power so you can safely rule the universe and not have us on riding your backside 24/7? Aww, is the poor boy afraid? Afraid of what your  _mistakes_  can do to you?" Her last question was spat out through clenched teeth. Piper's body began to illuminate a deep burgundy, her dark eyes piercing Loki's green ones. She slowly began to approach him. "Well, I'll let you in on a little secret." Piper felt invincible. The rage whirring through her system empowered her like nothing had before, and she loved it. She chuckled, leaning in towards Loki. "I'm the best mistake you've ever made."

Loki went to throw a simple punch to Piper's face. Piper's arm shot up in defense, stopping his attack in an instant. Her eyes glowed bright. "Where's the crystal?"

"None of your business!" Loki growled, striking Piper across the face. She barely even winced.

Before Piper could utter a response, she was struck with something hot, like lightening. Her body went flying back into the side of a building, then collapsing on to the pavement. The glow illuminating from her body faded as she lie there motionless.

Loki began to clap slowly, walking up to her. "Congratulations, you are the very first to feel the wrath of my new staff. How do you like it?"

Piper pushed herself into a sitting position to the best of her ability, her entire body throbbing with pain. "It's lovely."

He twirled the staff in his hands, observing it closely. "Made it myself." He paused. "Now, back to this crystal matter." He reached down and grabbed Piper by the jaw. "You gave such a lovely little speech, but let me assure you something. You have always been a mistake. And just because my attempt to end your life ricocheted the first time does not mean I will allow something like that to happen again. Said little mishap does not make you special, it just makes you lucky. I will let you in a little secret. Your luck has run out."

Little to Loki's knowledge, Piper was building up an energy source in her palm while he rambled to her.

"Has it?" Just then Piper released the energy from her hand, and it was Loki's turn to go flying back across the street. Piper had just enough time to get herself off of the ground before he fired again. She leaped out of the way, instantly aiming her hands towards him, firing raw aether towards her attacker. She couldn't kill him yet because she needed to retrieve the crystal first. But she couldn't focus long enough to try and read his mind to figure out where he was hiding it. Then, she got an idea. She vanished into thin air.

"That's what your going with?" Loki called out.

As Loki worked on finding where Piper was hiding, she remained still, focusing on nothing except the crystal. Revealing the crystal, it's energy, the touch of it in her hand. Finally she felt its presence. It was definitely on Loki's person, she just had to figure out where. She concentrated even harder, and then she saw it.

He was wearing it around his neck, and the crystal itself was tucked under layers of leather and armor that he was wearing.

Just perfect.

"Come on, show yourself you little fiend." He hissed.

Piper took that as her chance to get to work. She aimed a field at his scepter, and blasted it out of his hands. She then leaped on him from behind, wrapping her thighs around his neck. He quickly reached behind, and grabbed her just above the hips, trying his hardest to pull her off. He was strong, and she felt his grip fracture a few of her lower ribs, causing her to cry out in pain. Seeing that Piper was pretty well latched on, he started stumbling his way towards his staff.

"Don't even think about it!" Piper cried out, wrapping her arms around his skull in such a way to easily snap his neck.

"You cannot kill me." He grunted. "I cannot suffer the same wounds of those of the mortals."

"I'm not stupid, and neither or you. You know that nothing can survive a beheading."

"What about leviathans? Those wretched creatures can recover from an anything."

"But you're not a leviathan. Bite your tongue." Piper then wrapped her right arm around his throat, proceeding to choke him.

Out of nowhere, Loki whipped out a dagger. Before Piper could act in defense, he shoved it through her right forearm. She crippled off of his back, and he took this chance to retrieve his staff. Just before he fired at her again, she put up a force field. She felt her left arm growing weaker, being it was the only arm holding up the field. Her wound didn't seem to heal fast enough. She felt as her flesh slowly clung itself back together, all of her fractured bones relining themselves before melding back to their original place.

Loki saw her field getting weaker, so he continued to add energy to the massive bolt reaching out of his weapon.

Just in time, Piper shot up her right hand, providing strength to her only source of protection.

"You can't hide behind there forever!" Loki shouted over all of the buzzing electricity.

Piper was stuck. She couldn't just drop the field, because then he would win. She didn't have the power to implode the power and reverse it upon him like she did to the frost giants earlier because she didn't have enough power to do that again so soon. She was trapped. And until she got the crystal back to the team, so was Alex.

All of a sudden, Loki was struck with something from the sky. It struck him right across the face, and its density smacked him to the ground, his scepter landing a few yards away. Piper quickly dropped the field, running towards him. But she wasn't fast enough. Just as she went to reach for his scepter, her face met the pavement when he swept her feet directly out from under her with one swing.

Before Loki could grab his scepter, Vision landed and swung at Loki, knocking him out of the way. Loki returned in seconds, and Vision kept him busy as Piper crawled her way towards the staff. Loki aimed a hand out, and it started moving towards him slowly, lifting up off of the ground out of Piper's reach. She growled when it passed over her head, only to duck when it suddenly got knocked down the street much further by a red orb. Piper turned over and looked behind to see possibly one of the best sights she'd ever seen. The team, headed for an attack on Loki. Piper's eyes quickly scanned for Bucky, but he wasn't there. She didn't feel his presence. Worry suddenly flooded her mind. Had he been wounded? Why wasn't he there too? And what about Steve?

Piper's thoughts were interrupted by Sam. "Going up!" He called, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet.

Before Piper could answer, Tony was at her side, his mask up and the folds of metal practically melting off of his right hand as it the armor became compact. His left hand grabbed her right, and held it up slightly. He took his right hand and swatted her palm. "That's for being stupid." Tony spat.

Piper then felt guilt add on to her wave of emotions. She shouldn't have run off like that, leaving them behind. Before she could apologize, Tony's mask swung back down and he spun around to hit Loki with one of his blasters.

Piper then remembered the staff. She looked over her shoulder to see that Natasha already had it in her grasp. "Hey kid," She said, walking up to Piper. "You can do the honors." They both looked over at Loki, who was currently being beaten to death by Hulk. They walked over as Hulk finished up his round, smashing Loki into the pavement.

"Tie him up." Piper looked at Nat. She tossed the staff to Pietro.

In seconds, Loki was thrown against the side of a building. Hands tied behind his back, feet tied together, blood seeping from many wounds. Wanda kept him pushed against the wall with her fields. Piper walked up to him slowly. His eyes were locked on hers, burning with just at much hatred and rage she had for him, if not more.

Piper stood over him, gently tucking a cluster of stray hair behind his ear, tracing her fingers gently from behind his ear down his jawline. She stopped just before she got to his chin, winding up and smacking him harshly. Bending down, Piper took that as her open window to grab the crystal from his neck. Crystal back in her palm, Piper smiled. "One last thing," she cooed softly. Holding the crystal in her palm with her thumb, she put both hands on either side of his head and tried something that she was rather unsure of. She thought solely of Alex, where he was hiding her, and soon her vision went black, but her eyes remained open. Loki hissed in pain as the energy shot through his skull. Piper was racking through his mind, images flooding her own until she finally saw what she wanted to see: Alex's pale body, lying motionless on a hard surface. She continued to dig, seeing a few more images until finally the infamous Avengers' Tower  _A_  shot into view. He was keeping her at Avengers Tower. Or, what used to be such. Piper then gasped, stepping back. "Thank you for your cooperation." She hummed, turning to face the others. "I'm going back to Steve. I know where Alex is."

"And about Reindeer Games?" Tony asked.

"Have your fun, but keep him under constraint. I'm sending daddy and his big brother over soon." Piper grinned, looking at Loki one last time. Then she concentrated on Steve, closing her eyes, and she faded into the air.

"She's different. I don't like it." Sam spoke up.

"It is the power of the aether you imbeciles," Loki spat. "No one survives raw evil such as that."

"Did we ask you?" Tony sassed, crossing his arms. He snapped his metal fingers, pointing to Loki. "Wanda, you know what to do."

Wanda moved her hands just the slightest, sealing his pale lips.

"Thank you, darling."

* * *

Piper opened her eyes to see Steve, Bucky, Odin and Thor not far away, but they weren't exactly close either. That was odd. Her precision hadn't been that much off before. "Steve!" Piper screamed, her voice hoarse and dry. She saw his head snap up, and she waved her arms in the air as she started jogging towards them. Bucky rushed towards her, Steve not far behind. With every step, Piper could feel her legs getting weaker and weaker. Her muscles burned and her feet ached with inexplicable pain. Her lungs seemed to have shrunk in size and she could barely pick her feet up to continue her already slow jog.

Steve and Bucky weren't got closer by the second, and just as Piper felt her legs give out, a strong pair of arms caught her before her face met the pavement yet again. "I got you." Bucky panted hoisting her up onto her feet again, holding her close.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked, studying Piper's condition with deep concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Piper panted, her head drooping as she nearly blacked out. Bucky pulled her head back up adjusting her stature again as she continued to lose her balance. Before Steve could ask another question, she held out the crystal. She sniffled and swallowed among her rapid panting. "Alex...at...Avengers...Tower." She dropped the crystal into Steve's hands.

"What's wrong with her?" Steve snapped at Odin.

Odin studied Piper's condition as Bucky hoisted her up into his arms, bridal style. "Her body is struggling to adjust to the aether. She has used too much of her power in too close of a proximity."

Bucky almost gasped audibly with fear. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Eventually. She needs to refrain from using the aether until her body can properly adjust." Odin said, turning to Steve. " And I see that she has brought us the crystal."

"Alex is at Avengers Tower. That's just south of here." Steve began.

Odin turned to Thor. "Go handle your brother. You know what needs to be done."

Thor nodded, stepping back before taking off into the sky.

"I can poof us there..." Piper panted, her breathing uneven.

"No, you can't." Bucky retorted.

Odin turned back to Steve. "May I see the crystal?"

Steve hesitated, but knew he couldn't question Odin's authority. Once the crystal was in Odin's hands, he closed his eyes and worked his magic.

In the blink of an eye, they were in Avengers Tower. Steve jumped back, almost horrified. They were in the old den, where the bar used to be. He looked around at the old place, until his eyes fell on Alex's body on the floor. "Alex!" He gasped, rushing over to her and falling to his knees.

Odin was right behind Steve, and also got down on his knees to prepare to remove the curse. "I suggest you and your friends dismiss yourselves from the room. This can be quite an ugly procedure."

"I'm not budging." Steve retorted.

"The curse has been etched into her soul," Odin began. "And in order to free her from such, this procedure literally exposes the human soul in order to remove the curse from it. Much like exorcising a demon from its vessel, if you will."

"I made a vow to stay by her side no matter the circumstance," Steve said. "And I'm certainly not going to leave her side now."

"Your loss." Odin muttered.

Steve looked over his shoulder at Bucky. He tilted his head to the side, signaling that he should take Piper out of the room. She, on the other hand, didn't need this. He knew Piper, and she was a tough cookie, but she's always been all happiness and sunshine ever since the day he met her, and he knew that deep down, she still was. Even if she covered it up well. She couldn't take too much. Steve knew that Piper would not be able to down the sight of her best friend going through the amount of pain that she was about to endure.

Bucky nodded in response. He started to take her out, but she rejected. "No," she said softly. "I need to stay."

"Piper, it's for the best." Bucky replied, the pace in his strides picking up as soon as he heard Odin start muttering words in a language he couldn't decipher.

"It's okay, baby, everything's going to be okay." Steve muttered to Alex, gently brushing some hair out of her face. Steve couldn't cry anymore, because he had no tears left. "Just stay with me, please stay with me."

Steve continued to mutter sweet words into Alex's ears as Odin began his ritual.

Meanwhile, Bucky finally reached an old spare bedroom somewhere down the hall. He put Piper gently down. She immediately tried to get back up. "Piper, don't."

Just then, Alex's screams rang through the deserted halls. Piper began to fight with all the energy she had left, but Bucky kept her down. "Don't hurt her!" Piper screamed, tears streaking down her face. "Stop it! Make him stop! Please make him stop!"

Bucky bit his lip slightly, not knowing what to do. Empathy wasn't something he'd gotten back yet. He wasn't good at comforting people, especially in this sense. "Piper please, she'll be alright. He has to do this."

Piper continued to scream and cry, and she almost slipped through Bucky's fingers. She got up, only to have Bucky grab her by the waist and hoist her back down on to his lap. It was then when she finally gave up, collapsing into the embrace Bucky hadn't even realized he'd created, and began sobbing into his shoulder. Bucky let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. He took his flash hand and held her head against his shoulder gently, trying his best to calm her down. Alex's screams seemed to get worse by the second, and even Bucky found himself closing his eyes and trying to drown them out.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

I wasn't sure how many memories I'd visited. I wasn't sure how much time I had left. But I decided to remain calm, because there was nothing I could do. I had to wait for help on the outside. In the meantime, I'd probably never get to experience this again-whether I made it through this or not.

I'd just finished watching an old memory of Piper and I in high school when the next door caught my eye. I slipped inside, and it didn't take me long to realize where I was this time.

_The door swung open, slowly and tauntingly revealing where we would be staying next. My shoulders drooped as I let out a disappointed sigh. "Kinda, small, don't you think?" My eyes studied the small bedroom and conjoined bathroom._

_"It's not the tower, but, it's better than nothing." Steve said, stepping beside me and into our new living quarters._

_I dropped my duffel and walked over to the bathroom, flicking on the light. "Aw! This is like, motel bathroom small! No way!" I whined._

_Steve shot me a smug grin over his shoulder._

_"What!" I retorted._

_"Nothing." Steve chuckled. I just think that Tony has officially spoiled you."_

_"You're not wrong." I sighed. I made my way back to Steve. "Why did we have to leave the tower? Everything was perfect." I took Steve's hand in my own._

_"Except for the rioters, paparazzi, and reporters waiting at nearly every ground level exit."_

_"Yes, but the endless long halls-" I took a step back, raising my hands in expression, "and massive open stairwells, and endless windows, the kitchen, the bars, the garage was even nice!" I spun around, catching myself before continuing. "And now we don't even have JARVIS! He's stomping around on two feet!"_

_Steve held my shoulders. "I know, honey. I know. But, everything will be great here. You just have to give it a chance."_

_"I know, I feel bad for complaining. I just can't help it sometimes."_

_"I still love you anyways." Steve said, kissing my cheek before turning to leave._

_"Anyways?" I teased. "What's that supposed to mean? And where are you going?"_

_"Need to run a few errands, set up training schedules, you know, the usual. You coming?"_

_"Nah, go ahead. I'll catch up with you. I need to check on Piper, make sure she doesn't break anything."_

_"That's fair." Steve chuckled. "I just need to make sure you don't break anything."_

_I bashed my hand. "Don't worry about me." I walked over to him._

_"I have to," he smiled, giving me a quick peck on the lips, "that's my job."_

_"Get outta here." I teased, tapping him on the rear as he walked out into the hall. He flashed me one of his bright smiles, teeth and eyes shining, cheeks blushing the slightest shade of red, meanwhile putting his hands in his pockets. He smiled at me over his shoulder, and I reciprocated._

_"Alex!" I spun around only to dodge Piper, who was running towards me rather quickly._

_"Piper! Calm down!" I hissed._

_"Don't you just love it here?! I've already been around the place twice!"_

_"We only got here an hour ago!"_

_"Yeah, and?"_

_"Nevermind."_

_"Come on! I have to show you everything!" Piper exclaimed, tugging at my hand, putting emphasis on "everything"._

_"Okay, okay, chill." I chuckled, pulling the door shut behind me as she began yanking me down the hall._

_Piper took me all around, showing me some of the best places to hang out and relax. There were many large open training rooms, hangers for jets and planes, a cafeteria, basically a college campus for assassins. Later in the hall, we passed Natasha, who was busy clicking away at her touch pad._

_"Hey, Nat!" I grabbed her arm gently. "Did you ever find Bruce?"_

_"No, and we lost the plane on the radar. He must have turned the satellite off."_

_"I'm sorry to hear that." I trailed off. "He'll turn up eventually. Bruce isn't one to play hide and seek for very long."_

_Natasha grinned. "Yeah, hopefully."_

_Piper and I took a few more laps, this time passing the training room that Steve was working in. Natasha was there too. I gasped and flinched when Wanda tore through dummy after dummy with just the energies illuminating from her hands. She looked menacing from where I was standing. But I knew that she was in good hands. My heart ached for her. I barely knew her or her brother, but it was awful to hear that we'd lost him so soon. Sam amused me with his wings, which I fully intended to tease him about later. Sam and I weren't the closest, but we were friends. Mainly because we really hadn't had time to get to know each other before. Rhodey didn't need much training from what I could see, but every bit counts. Tony had introduced me to Rhodey at one of the many parties at Avengers Tower, and he seemed to be a gentlemen. I wasn't sure how he put up with Tony, but then again, we all did. And last but not least, was JARVIS. The Vision. It still hadn't registered in my mind that JARVIS had two legs and two arms, plus a cape. I was going to nag on him about that cape. I guess it fit him, though. Without it he might look kind of weird just flying around in a tight suit._

_"Are they joining the team?" Piper finally broke the silence. We'd both been watching them train so intently that we had forgotten of each other's presence._

_"Yeah, yeah I think so." I responded._

_"They seem cool. We'll have to invite Wanda in on one of our girl's nights sometime soon. I think it would be good for her."_

_I nodded. "We'll see. I don't want to rush her."_

_"Distractions are the best things after losing somebody."_

_I looked at Piper questioningly, and she shrugged. "I'm just saying."_

_"I agree with you. It was just different hearing you say that, I guess." I muttered, more so to myself._

_Piper and I parted ways for the night not long after that._

_After changing into some comfortable night clothes, I splashed my face with some cold water. Something didn't feel right. Nearly every muscle in my body was tense, but that wasn't completely uncommon after saving the world. It was beyond the highest of blessings to walk away from a fight like that with just some pulled muscles, cuts, and bruises. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and suddenly felt chills run down my spine. Goosebumps rose on my arms and chest in seconds and a small shiver shook my body. I exhaled gently and rubbed my arms to soothe the tense skin as I walked back into the bedroom. I saw Steve lying in bed, propped up against the headboard, reading the newspaper. I couldn't help but smile. "Don't need your spectacles, grandpa?"_

_"Nope. Not yet, anyways." He replied, putting the paper on his small nightstand and flicking the lamp off as I crawled into the bed next to him. He laid on his side facing me, and I did the same._

_"I saw you running around with Piper earlier. Do you like the place any better now?"_

_"I'm warming up to it a little. I think it's mainly because deep down I know there's nothing we can do about it."_

_Steve chuckled. "It'll be fine."_

_"I miss our old room." I drew small circles in the sheets as I spoke, "It was so much more...I don't know. It was just different."_

_"Maybe because it was our first bedroom?"_

_"Maybe, I don't know."_

_Steve took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together. "I don't care where we are. As long as we're together."_

_"Forever and ever." I grinned, kissing his hand. We both laughed softly at our cheesiness._

_"Your hands feel cold. Are you getting sick?" He put his palm against my forehead._

_I shrugged. "No idea." I bit my tongue about the weird feeling I had in the bathroom. The last thing I needed was Steve hanging over me even more than he usually did worrying about my well being. I was glad that he cared, but sometimes he cared just a little too much._

_"If you start feeling ill, there's a medical ward about 40 yards down the hall from here."_

_"How comforting." I rolled my eyes teasingly, yawning shortly after. "It's that time." I grinned._

_Steve smiled in return, making room so I could turn on my opposite side and curl my back against his muscular torso. He wrapped his arm around my midsection, kissing my head gently. "I love you."_

_"I love you too." I breathed. My eyes fluttered shut soon after._

* * *

_I had strings, but now I'm free._

_I've got no strings_

_To hold me down_

_To make me fret_

_Or make me frown_

_I had strings, but now I'm free._

**_There are no strings on me._ **

* * *

My eyes shot open and my body jolted rather harshly. My lungs and throat constricted as I gasped for air. My mouth was dry, the small amount of saliva amounting for a distasteful effect. My head throbbed, my vision straining as the pain came in sudden waves upon my skull. After another minute or so, I felt my entire body aching, more than it ever had before. My hearing was magnified, my ears popping uncomfortably. My eyes were irritated, burning a little. I felt an odd feeling in my bones as well. They were nearly creaking like old floorboards as they seemed to come back to life, my tendons and joints slowly moving for the first time in a long time. It was then I remembered what had happened.

My life seemed to flash before my eyes. Everything from the earliest moments I could remember to the last thing my eyes saw before I blacked out. I blinked rapidly, putting my hands on either side of my head to try and soothe the throbbing aches and wipe that blasted lullaby from my conscience.

Suddenly there was a voice overpowering all of the ruckus bashing against the inside of my skull, and everything stopped. I blinked a few more times, and then a dimly lit room that I was all too familiar with came into focus. It was Steve and I's bedroom at the Avengers Base.

"Alex, honey, look at me." Steve breathed, taking my chin in his hands gently and turning my head to look at him.

"Steve?" Before I could say anything else, he wrapped his arms around my upper half gently.

"Shh, don't talk. Just rest." His voice cracked. "Everything's going to be okay."

It took me a moment to determine if this was real, or just another dream. I obeyed his request, and didn't say a thing. I reciprocated his action, squeezing my arms as tightly as I could around him, which wasn't very much. I could feel every mountain and valley created on his skin from his muscles, his ribs expanding with every breath of oxygen his lungs inhaled, and then slowly deflate. I pulled back, taking his face in my hands. I noted the tears in his eyes, the warmth radiating from his skin. I was horrified to ask if it it was a dream. If I had yet again been deceived, and I was in another dream, I must be dead. And this must be Heaven.

I opened my mouth the slightest, feeling my throat tighten and tears well in my eyes. "Is this real?" My voice came out in a whisper.

"What do you mean?"

I swallowed deeply. "Am I dead?"

Steve's face dropped. "No, no-" He breathed, a small smile on his lips now. He took my hands in his.

I cut him off before he could utter anything else. A sob overtook my body, many followed after as I gathered as much of Steve up in my arms as I physically could. And we stayed like that for a while. Holding each other, rocking back and forth slightly, crying softly.

After a while, we eventually regained ourselves. He laid me back down against the pillows gently, and sat on the edge of the bed by my legs. "How much do you remember?"

"Enough," I said, furrowing my eyebrows. "So many things...almost too many things at once." I looked down at my arm and ran my fingers over it gently. The mark was gone. That feeling in the back of my head that something was wrong had seemed to have vanished as well. No trace was left behind except for the memories being played back in my head.

Thinking of the mark then led me to think of Piper. "Where's Piper?" I gasped. "Is she okay?"

Steve chuckled at my rapid-fire interrogation. "She's...recovering."

"Recovering from what?" I tensed up.

"She's not hurt, don't worry. She just wore herself out."

I looked at Steve questioningly. He exhaled. He was holding something back. I could see it in his eyes.

"She," he paused." She went a little over the top. Got a little reckless, but she's okay now."

A sigh of relief escaped me. "I'm not surprised. Sounds like Piper. As long as she's alright."

Steve paused before continuing the conversation. "I didn't know she had it in her. I've never seen Piper so determined to kill a man."

"How bad did she get?"

"It wasn't anything uncommon for a revenge fueled fire, but, for somebody like her, it was a but surprising to see her like that I guess. Bucky's been keeping an eye on her. Those two have something going on. I don't know what it is, but it's something."

I chuckled. "Classical Piper. She was onto to Sam, but, then Bucky came along and...yeah. That's nothing new. Her interests change very quickly, they always have. What about the others? Nobody lost a limb or anything right?"

"No, everybody's fine. Minor wounds, but nothing horrible. No deaths, no need to make any extra prosthetic limbs." He laughed. "Oh, so get this. Pietro is alive and well."

My jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "Swooped in out of nowhere."

"How?" I asked, shocked.

"No idea." He shrugged. "I'm sure Wanda will find out soon enough, and she'll pass it on. And, to answer anymore of your questionnaires, Thor and Odin took Loki back to Asgard for quite the whooping, as we used to say."

I laughed. I loved it when he used slang from the 40s. It just reminded me how old he actually was.

"And Odin has the crystal. He got rid of the curse, too. Everything's finally back to normal out there." Steve sighed.

"I'd hope so. He cast it in the first place."

"Because of Howard's actions, but, yes I agree with you. I wasn't fond of him. He seemed hard headed, kind of ruthless."

I grinned. Steve could be  _very_  hard headed sometimes. Nine times out of ten he was going to be hard headed about something.

"And how are you?" I asked.

He looked down, folding his hands in his lap. "I'll be okay. Don't worry about me."

"I have to, that's my job."

We shared a smile, and an awkward silence fell. "Well, Bruce told me to come get you once you were up. I'll be right back, do you need anything?"

Right on cue, my stomach growled viciously. "Food?" I smiled.

"Sure thing."

Only a few minutes after he was gone, the hunger really set in. I was beyond starving. I ran my hand over my stomach. My eyebrows furrowed when it felt larger than normal. And then I remembered.

_"Am I-?"_

_"Pregnant? Yes. I guess Howard Stark's dreams would have become a reality if Odin had not placed this lovely curse upon you."_

I was pregnant. Or was I? I didn't know that for sure...Loki was the god of lies...of course he would lie! But would he really lie about something like that? That would just be another motive for me to live and that was the last thing he wanted...he wanted me out of the way. Oh man he's still alive, he's gonna sit there in prison and plot more ways to kill me when I'm least expecting it. He probably even-

"Alex, how good it is to see you alive and well." Bruce said, startling me back into reality.

I just smiled, trying to shake off the millions of things running through my mind in the background.

"How have you been feeling?"

"Well, for the hour that I've been conscious pretty good, I suppose. For almost dying, really good." I chuckled. "My head kinda hurts though, and when I woke up everything was blurry. I was like, really lightheaded."

"For the amount of time that you were in that coma that's not too uncommon. Any nausea?"

"No, not much more since that episode back a while ago. But I do feel kind of bloated, and I haven't eaten anything yet."

"Have you had any soreness?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary...I'm sore about 24/7. But yeah, everything hurts."

"Okay. Well if you continue to feel bloated, any out of the ordinary fatigue, nasuea, just let me know. I think I'll keep you on the IV for 24 hours and we'll continue with a few pain medications. You should be back to normal in no time, kiddo."

"Thanks, Bruce. I feel like I've been your regular patient lately."

"Well, you were cursed. What can you do, right?"

We shared a short laugh, and then he left. I was left alone again. I sat back in bed, relaxed, and tried to clear my mind. Steve was going to be back soon with food, and that's all that was important right now.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

Out in the hall, Bruce pulled Natasha aside. She has been checking in on Piper and had wanted to see Alex, but she wanted Bruce's consent first. "Well, how is she?" Nat asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She looks fine. But she did describe a few things that concern me." Bruce replied softly.

"About? What we said, or something else?"

"What we said. I think Wanda was right."

"I mean, how long can Alex be pregnant and not find out? She has to know. That nausea mishap was nearly two and a half months ago, she's going to be showing soon."

"I know, I know. What am I supposed to say? Hey welcome back from nearly dying, I think you're pregnant." Bruce through his hands up in exasperation.

"I mean surely by now she's missed two or more menstrual cycles. How does she not notice that?"

"I don't know, Nat. She's been pretty busy with being cursed."

Natasha looked at Bruce disapprovingly. "Women don't forget about _that_  of all things. It's the  _one_  thing that we notice when it doesn't happen."

"Okay, okay." Bruce said in defeat. "If Wanda said she sensed the life growing inside of Alex, I'll just say something to Steve and-"

Nat cut him off with a slap to the face. "No! He's the last person you'll say a word to! He'll freak out!"

"Well he's probably the father!"

"Alex will tell him when she's ready. That's her business and hers only."

"Alright, just don't hit me again." Bruce put his hands up teasingly in defense.

Natasha sighed. "I'm sorry." She muttered softly, so soft it was practically a whisper. "Alex will figure it out on her own time, and we'll just go from there. Nobody says anything, including Wanda."

"She's distracted by Pietro. I don't think we need to worry about her."

Nat nodded in agreement.

The two shared a few final words and parted their ways.

* * *

Piper was lying in her bed, watching a romantic comedy off of Netflix when she heard the softest of knocks at her door. She had to wait for it to make the noise again to be sure it just wasn't part of the movie. She paused said film, and got up to answer the door. Opening the door slowly, she looked down as she opened it a little less than halfway. She was slightly taken aback when she saw Bucky standing there.

"Hey, uh, what's up?" Piper asked.

Bucky seemed uncomfortable. His eye contact wasn't strong and he seemed to be tense. "Can I come in?"

"Sure?" Piper answered, confused.

He walked in and she shut the door behind him. "Is something wrong?"

"I just wanted to check on you. See how you were doing."

"Oh," Piper felt heat rise to her cheeks. She was flattered that he was concerned about her. "I'm doing fine, still just tired and honestly really lazy." She chuckled. "Are you sure something else isn't bothering you?"

He shrugged. Piper could see in his eyes that he wanted to say more, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She tried reading his mind in a very subtle way, but she couldn't make out just any one message. Too many thoughts were bouncing all around, it was hard to make out anything distinct.

"If you just need somebody to talk to, I'm here for you. I know Steve's busy with Alex." Piper said softly.

Bucky looked up at her, surprised, shocked even.

 _Jackpot_ Piper thought. She decided to break the awkward silence. "You know, I never really got the chance to just talk to you. We just kind of, teamed up in the midst of all this trouble."

"Piper, I, I just don't want to be any trouble."

"Spending time with you would make my day, my week, the entire month!" Piper chuckled. "You're not any trouble, exactly the opposite. Ever since Steve and Alex got married, dated even, I've been so alone. Things were a little better once Wanda joined, because I someone to talk to who wasn't busy. But now she's busy all of the time. I'm like the only one without a thousand things to do."

Bucky smiled. An honest, warm, genuine, smile. "So, what should we start with? Favorite foods or from the very beginning?"

"Let's start at the  _very_  beginning."

Piper and Bucky talked for hours. They got comfortable on Piper's small couch and the sparks flew. Piper started, explaining the adventures she had with Alex when they were little all the way up until practically now. When they moved to the new base. "Can I, ask you something?"

"Shoot." Bucky grinned.

"Do you feel something, when we're together?"

Bucky grinned wickedly. "Elaborate."

Piper blushed. "When I'm around you, or, in whatever circumstance. I feel attached to you. Ever since I looked into your eyes, when you were stuck to that magnet under Sam and Steve's watch, I've felt connected to you. Like-"

"It's my job to protect you." They both spoke simultaneously, sharing a laugh after.

"So I'm not alone on this, then." Piper blushed. "No matter how cheesy that sounds."

"No, you never have been." Bucky responded.

Piper laughed nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She wasn't sure what to say, until it popped into her mind. "Alright, it's your turn."

He grinned, sighing in defeat. "I was afraid you were gonna say that. Where do I begin? Alright, so it's 1925, I'm eight years old. I'm walking home from the general store my mom always sent me to get her the paper from, and out of nowhere I hear somebody crying in an alleyway. Being the curious trouble maker I was, I decided to go check it out."

Piper was intrigued in Bucky's story, watching his facial expressions closely as he recalled such an early time in his life.

"So I finally come across the source of the noise, and, next to a dumpster, is this real small blonde kid. I didn't know what to do, I looked around and he was completely alone. So then I finally just ask if he's okay. I scared him, first off, which made me feel even worse. He looks up at me, and he's got this huge black eye and his nose is all bloody. Then I ask him what happened, why he's alone, crying, in an alleyway. He looked like he was afraid of me. I mean, he appeared to be a lot younger than me so I assumed that was why. But then he finally was able to pull himself together, I helped him up, and he told me that some kids a few years older than him started making fun of him because of his size, and he picked a fight with 'em. He tells me that he's nine, and I was stunned. The poor kid looked to be six, maybe seven if he was lucky. And then, I finally get a name. Steve. Steve Rogers. I offered to walk him home, and at first he denied. I told him I wouldn't beat him up or anything, which got a little chuckle. He finally agreed, and so began our friendship."

" _That's_  how you met Steve?" Piper was blown away.

"Yep. He's always been like a little brother to me ever since. Even though he's the older one."

Piper laughed. "That's how I feel about Alex. Even though I'm the messier one. She's cleaning up after me most of the time."

Now it Bucky's turn to chuckle.

"Do you think that's why we're so attached to each other? You're Steve's best friend and I'm Alex's?"

"Maybe. Or we just-

"Have feelings for each other?" Piper finished his sentence. He nodded. "But, I don't understand how we felt it the first time we met. You didn't even know I existed." Piper finished.

"Yeah but you knew about me. The horrible thing's I'd done."

"No, I knew you as Steve's best friend who he was desperate to save. Not some serial killer on the newspaper headlines. It wasn't even really you, Buck. You know that, right?"

Bucky's heart warmed at the nickname "Buck". "Yeah, but at the same time it  _was_  me. How am I supposed to live when I can distinctly remember every person I've ever killed?" The pain in his voice was prominent.

An idea popped into Piper's mind. "I think I can help you with that."

* * *

Pietro held Wanda in his arms as she drifted off to sleep on her bed. He felt awful for the pain that she went through, and that he couldn't have come to her back sooner. It was his job to protect her, and he felt like he'd failed. He had failed. Pietro shifted slightly, trying to put her in bed for the night, but she awoke upon his movement.

"Go back to sleep." He whispered.

There was panic in Wanda's eyes. "No, don't leave."

"I won't be going anywhere." He kissed her forehead. "I promise."

She nodded. "No. Stay. Please."

Pietro caved in. He stayed. "You did amazing out there." He said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

"Yeah, I'd be dead if you hadn't caught me."

He didn't really answer her, because they both knew that she was right.

"Where were you?" Wanda spoke up.

Pietro was silent. His muscles tensed and he kept his eyes down. "I can't tell you."

Wanda sat up. "What?"

Pietro rose. "I'm sorry, but you have to trust me. It's for the best."

"No. You can trust me. Nothing is supposed to keep us apart, remember?" Wanda was beyond hurt, she felt the hot tears brimming her eyes. It killed her that Pietro didn't trust her.

"Wanda-"

"You can tell me  _anything_ , Pietro. I won't tell a soul." Her voice cracked harshly.

"Just not this." Pietro sighed, walking out of her room.

Wanda felt the tears slide down her cheeks, and she curled up into a ball on her bed. She leaning back into the warmth of the mattress from where Pietro was lying only moments ago. She felt as if she'd been run through by a dagger straight into her heart. Her chest was heavy, her head and body ached, and her skin felt cold. Thousands of thoughts raced through her mind. Something was wrong about Pietro coming back to life. Nothing felt right. It was all like some crazy dream, and now the clouds were turning from white to grey as the storm began to brew.

* * *

_**First Person POV** _

A week passed.

I could walk on my own two feet again, but I had to rest nearly all of the day. I was slowly gaining my strength back, but I took quite the internal beating. And to top it all off, the possibility of a child growing inside me had me on pins and needles. I was having trouble sleeping at night, and I tossed and turned all day long.

I'd finally gained enough strength to the point where I could take a few walks each day on my own to gain some muscle back. As I took my walks, I would think. For the first time in a long time, I had time to just think. I could sit and watch paint dry if I wanted to, and I was glad.

I couldn't remember the last time I could just, _relax_.

"Hey honey, how are you feeling?" Steve's voice shook me from my thoughts. I was lying in bed, just zoned out. I hadn't even heard him open the door.

"Fine, I took a few walks this morning. I think I'll be back to normal in a few more days."

"Well, don't rush. You have all of the time in the world to get better." He kissed my forehead.

 _I wish I had all of the time in the world._ I thought to myself. Steve must have noticed my reaction. He quickly changed the subject. "So, did you get any dinner yet? I'm sorry I've been busy with training-"

"Don't feel bad. And yeah, I had some of the leftovers from the other night."  _I hadn't eaten a morsel since earlier that morning. I'd lost my interest to eat, even though I was starving._

"Well, you need to make sure you stay on top of that, okay?"

"Okay, mother." I teased, earning a look from Steve. Sometimes when he babied me I got agitated. I quickly retracted. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what to do with myself. Being bed ridden kind of has me in a funk, I guess."

"I feel bad I can't spend more time up here with you." Steve said, crawling into the bed with me and holding my hand.

"Don't feel bad." I repeated myself. "You have to do your job, Steve. I honestly can't wait until I can do mine again."

He looked down, nodded his head a little. "Here's an idea, I go get some popcorn and we watch a movie?"

"No, please stay. Thank you for the offer, but, I'd rather just lay here with you." I laughed at how corny it sounded out loud.

Without words, Steve got under the covers and pulled me close to him. "I'll never get tired of this." He muttered into my hair.

"Neither will I." I hummed.

Later that night, Steve was sound asleep next to me. I slipped out from under his arm and froze. He stirred, and I waited until he ceased his movements to continue mine. I dashed into the bathroom, and quietly shut the door behind me, turning the lock. I dropped to my knees and swung open the cabinet doors that were below the sink. I stretched my hand all the way to the back and began feeling around for a small rectangular box. Once my fingertips finally brushed it, I grasped it and whipped it out. I froze, and read the face of the box once more.  _First Response: Pregnancy Test._ This wasn't any sort of first response type of scenario, I needed an answer...as fast as I could could get one.

* * *

_Two lines._

Two solid, orange lines.

Loki wasn't lying for once.

I  _was_  pregnant.

I felt overcome with excitement, and love, but yet so much fear. What if my baby had been injured during with that curse inside of me? What if he or she was going to be born with some sort of defect because of all of the tasseling I put my body through? Let alone the many blows that had been made to my abdominal region lately. What about Steve? I knew he wouldn't be mad, but, what was he going to think of all this? Was he going to be upset that I didn't tell him sooner? That I'd almost died with our child? How am I going to tell him? Should I just, say it? Or surprise him in some cute way like they do in the movies?  _How far along am I?_ What if I haven't been eating enough? Is the baby healthy?

I stared blankly at the wall in front of me as I hugged my legs while sitting on top of the toilet lid. The pregnancy test was still in my hand. Millions of thoughts and fears were racing through my mind, but I was frozen in time. My eyes wide, my breathing shallow, as I sat in silence.

* * *

_**Third Person POV** _

The chains dug at Loki's wrists as he glared at Thor and Odin through old and rusted bars.

_I had strings, but now_

Sam tossed and turned in bed while horrific thoughts plagued his mind of his friend's death.

_I'm free_

Wanda rocked back in forth in her bed, tears streaming down her face. She was infuriated, yet broken, that her brother wouldn't trust her.

_I've got no strings_

Piper looked at her hands, and then up at her reflection in the mirror. She saw herself, but she was dead. Her skin burnt to a crisp, her eyes glossed over, features unidentifiable.

_To hold me down_

Bucky shuddered, cringing as the thoughts of the murders he committed raced through his mind. He could still hear their screams, see their eyes as he watched them die, and even feel their blood on his hands.

_To make me fret_

Steve was lost in his dreams, horrific flashbacks of the war and the constant playback of Alex's screams echoed in his mind as he tossed and turned endlessly in bed.

_Or make me frown_

Bruce thought about his purpose, how things would be if he never existed in the first place. He tried to think of pros of being alive, but he couldn't seem to find any. Just cons.

_I_

Natasha remembered where she came from. Trained on endless hours to be selfless, and kill because that's what she was told to do. No strings attached.

_Had_

Clint was back home with his wife and kids, but he feared that they were in danger. He ignored the thought, but at the same time he could not. No matter where they were, he wouldn't be able to protect them from what was coming.

_Strings_

Vision hung his head low. They'd won, but they'd also lost. He could sense the future, and all he could see was darkness.

_But_

Tony decided it was time for a break. Recent events had proven that this line of work was taking a toll on him. It always had. He didn't want to leave Alex behind, now knowing of their blood relation, but he also couldn't help it. He was doing what he felt was best for everyone, and himself. He knew the team would be okay without him for a little while.

_Now_

Pietro couldn't rest his mind. He could not live knowing that he'd hurt his sister, but he couldn't tell her where he'd been. That would destroy her even more. He was doing his best to protect her, even if that meant tearing apart their relationship.

_I'm free._

Alex trembled at the many thoughts racing through her mind. Tears stained her cheeks and her breathing was sporadic. She could barely keep the pen steady as she wrote out the final sentence that completed the newest section in her journal:

_**There are no strings on me.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about the ending: If you recall the ending of the first installment, Alex keeps a journal and logs all of her life events in said journal. So, she was logging the events that took place in this installment in her journal at the very end, along with the newest addition of her confirmed pregnancy.
> 
> The Helm of Awe is a real thing from Norse Mythology and is said to inspire fear and awe. I got all of that information from the page titled "The Helm of Awe" on Norse Mythology for Smart People (it's a really good website) and just wanted to make sure I gave credit for that.
> 
> The next chapter of this installment is a teaser for the third and final installment of this wild ride, "Swan Song", and should be read before the first chapter of the next story.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading and following along!


	13. Shadowed Past: Swan Song TEASER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Here's a little teaser to give you a basic idea of what the next installment will be about. In terms of where it's at in the timeline, it will follow Civil War.

_The silence of the night forest was deafening. Few creatures stirred on the woodland grounds, until a light came beaming through the trees. Creatures scattered as the glowing object got closer, the quiet hum of an engine and tires on the dry pavement growing louder with every passing second. The car finally passed, the forest fading back into darkness. The silence returned only for a moment, and was disturbed again by another bright light, approaching much faster than the previous one. The second vehicle went flying by, this one only with two wheels._

_Only moments after the second vehicle had passed, three gunshots rang out in the night. The high pitched screeching of tires against the pavement and a menacing crash followed soon after._

_He walked up to the side of the car, ripping the driver's side door off its hinges with ease. He reached in, grabbing the driver by the throat, looking into his eyes as the man struggled to breathe._

_"Sergeant Barnes?" The man gasped._

_He glared into the man's eyes. He remembered that face. Those eyes. A small part of him screamed to stop. This man, Howard Stark, was his friend. He didn't deserve to die. But the mission always came first._

_He felt as Howard's body went limp, and the life drained from his body completely. A shriek came from the other side of the car, and he decided to finish his work._

_"No, please! Don't!" She cried._

_He could feel her hands prying against his own as he kept his grip on her throat tight, until finally her struggles ceased._

_He walked around to the back of the car, and flung the trunk open._

_His master's words rung in his head. "Bring me the crystal, and anything that has to do with it."_

_He began digging around through the trunk, opening file after to file to find something about the legendary Seidr crystal._

_In the end, he found a rather large piece of the crystal that was dangling from a shiny silver chain._

_That was enough._

_Mission complete._

Bucky shot up from his slumber, panting heavily and sweat beading along his skin. He put a hand over his mouth, letting a horrified whine escape his lips. He felt his stomach churn, food from earlier threatening to return to his mouth.

The vision continued to flash before his eyes.

 _He_  murdered Howard Stark. An old friend.

HYDRA had wanted the crystal that Loki used to take over the world.

And  _he_  gave it to them.

"James!"

He was pulled back into reality, jumping when he was met with a pair of eyes in his face.

"J, what's wrong?" Piper asked sweetly, brushing some lose hair away from his eyes.

Bucky felt his muscles slowly relax a little, the panic only remaining in his head. He still couldn't regain himself enough to tell her what was wrong.

"I, I-" He panted heavily.

"Just breathe with me." She looked deep into his eyes as she placed his hand on her chest. He could feel her heart thumping softly and tried his hardest to match his breathing with hers. Their eyes remain locked on each other's. "That's it, it's going to be alright." Her chest rumbled gently with her words.

Piper continued to whisper calming phrases to Bucky until his breathing was finally steady.

"Can you tell me what was wrong?"

Bucky felt the panic start to return, but he breathed deep, and remained as calm as possible. "I, I, I- killed  _him_. I killed them  _both_."

Piper's heart broke. He'd had another flashback. "Can you tell me who?"

Tears began to well up in his blue eyes as he bit his lip, looking away. He was ashamed of himself, his actions.

"Baby, come on, please tell me who. It's okay." Piper urged him on gently.

Bucky looked into Piper's eyes, feeling his stomach churn as he said the words. "I killed Howard and Maria Stark."


End file.
